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Post by minun4 on Oct 6, 2020 13:03:48 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block
This was almost perfect. It was an opportunity to learn what Team Liberty knew about the Power Suits. But he needed another look at the body before he knew exactly what to say. As the medic tried to squeeze around James, it gave him an excuse.
"Yes, but," James said, "It is kind of cramped spot for him to work. Do you mind if we step out into the main room?"
The medic looked at Executive Ladon and nodded. Executive Ladon nodded back, and stepped away from the doorway to allow them to leave.
"Thank you," James said as he passed the other Executive.
James walked over in front of the couch. The couch was well positioned to let him get one last look at the body before sitting down. He only risked enough time to glance at the body, but that was enough for him. He could see the outline of Percival's handiwork. James put the pieces together, and saw how Percival wanted him to use them.
Good job, Percival, James thought as he sat down. My debt to you grows ever larger.
The medic sat down next to James and began to apply Burn Heal to James's burns. James winced slightly as the medicine stung his wounds, but he knew it would pass quickly. In the long run this would be saving a lot more pain. Executive Ladon stepped in front of him and waited for James to begin speaking.
James said, "What happened was that two Power Suits broke down the doors to John Ford and Madison Hayes's cells. One of the Power Suits tried to carry Hayes off. But once she was outside of her cell, she was able to use her Psychic abilities to fight them off. After finishing off both Power Suits, she teleported John Ford away. To where, I do not know."
James put on his best air of feigned ignorance. "Honestly, I was hoping you could tell me what happened. Did those Power Suits belong to Team Liberty? The moves they were using did not seem like any of the ones the Power Suits were capable of using while I was helping to oversee the project."
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Post by Parugi on Oct 11, 2020 18:22:48 GMT -8
IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:
Executive Ladon sighed. Losing Ford and Hayes was one thing, but it would be entirely different if they had been taken rather than simply escaping on their own. At least this way they had some chance of tracking down where they had gone.
She couldn't help but shoot James an irritated look at his question. "You think if these belonged to Team Liberty that they would attack our own base?" she said, before shaking her head. "I don't know who made them, but they definitely aren't Team Liberty's--Shadow Pokémon are few and far between these days; even if we wanted to add Shadow-Type Power Suits to our arsenal, we don't have the means of acquiring or creating the numbers necessary to do so. Not to mention, production on the new suits is being watched closely by my team to ensure no more ethical violations are allowed to occur."
Despite her use of the word 'we,' it was clear what she was really saying--Vert was not in a position to create Shadow Suits at the moment.
"No, as far as I can tell, those were outsiders," she continued. "Again, no idea who, but this was just one of three attacks that occurred today. The other two were in far more public areas; evidently they didn't need to worry about getting caught, considering their corpses have slipped away from every single battle site up to now. Assuming we can keep a hold on these ones long enough, there's a chance we could figure out who they belong to."
"Evidence secured, Executive," one of the guards called from the hallway. "Trackers have been attached, as well, as a precaution."
"Get them up to Oak's team for assessment, then, on the double," she called back. "And let them know I want a preliminary findings report sent to my desk before they hand them off to anyone else."
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Post by Konuju on Oct 13, 2020 16:53:16 GMT -8
IC: Chrono - Empty Room, Strange Tower Before he met Ellen, Chrono had lived as a pickpocket on the streets of Unova. One might almost say thievery was in his very nature. And so it didn't take long for the Purrloin to come to a decision. After double checking that the coast was clear, Chrono dropped through the vent onto the top of the lockers. From there it was a quick leap onto the table in the center of the room. His paws landed soundlessly on the smooth surface. Picking up the device in his jaws, the literal cat burglar hopped back onto the lockers and disappeared into the safety of the ventilation shaft.
When he was once again out of sight, Chrono took a moment to investigate the strange device he had picked up.
IC: Paul Burks/Anson Brawns - Vendor Stand, Village Bridge Paul shook his head. "Village Bridge doesn't have a Pokémon Center, but we do have a local infirmary. They can take care of your injuries and your Pokémon's." The blacksmith glanced at Kyle. "You say you were attacked at the Alamo? I remember that place being pretty secure. Was the whole place under attack or just your little group?"
"Was it the Missing Zero?" Mr. Brawns chimed in. "Darn thing seems to be cropping up everywhere. It's practically overrun Black City at this point. If that thing attacked you, you were wise to teleport out of there."
IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows - Park, Ecruteak City "Chrono!" Ellen called for the umpteenth time. "Chrono, do you hear me?"
Symbio floated alongside the girl. While the Reuniclus had already scoured the battlefield himself, he had long since given up trying to convince Ellen the Purrloin was gone. Those strange soldiers vanished, he offered. Maybe Chrono vanished with them.
Ellen stopped short, tears welling up in her eyes. "That means he could be thousands of miles from here. Or in another dimension entirely! How are we ever supposed to find him now?"
Before Evan, Jenny, or Corey could respond, Shannon pulled Ellen into her arms with the same gentleness she'd used with Aori. For a moment she just let the girl cry into her shoulder. "There's no use fretting over it now, Ellen. From what you've told me, it sounds like Chrono knows how to take care of himself. Wherever he is, I'm sure he'll be fine."
Suddenly, a cacophony of sounds rang out as Evan's, Jenny's, and Chloe's devices all beeped at once. A moment later, Ellen's Xtransceiver rang as well. The call indicated an unknown number. Wiping her tears on her sleeve, Ellen hesitantly answered the call. "Hello?"
She was greeted with a view of a dark room with several familiar faces standing around a table. She immediately recognized Sonja Baron and her older sister, Sophia. Standing between them was John Ford himself, a stoic expression on his face that juxtaposed the tension between the Barons. She thought she saw a fourth person off to the side but they moved offscreen before she could get a good look. But she instantly recognized the spectral Jirachi floating above Ford.
A rush of emotions hit Ellen upon seeing Ford, Vertrag, Hayes, and Sonja again. On the one hand, she fondly remembered the friends she had made among the Children and their common mission to save the world. Yet in the same breath she recalled McKinley's treachery and the horror of Missing Zero's arrival into this world. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "It's good to see you all again," she said sincerely. "Although something tells me you're not calling about a family reunion. These strange people in dark power suits just attacked us out of the blue. Do you know something about that?"
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Post by minun4 on Oct 15, 2020 12:15:01 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block
James had enough tact to not respond to Executive Ladon’s rhetorical question. Out loud. Silently, knowing what Vert was willing to do, he couldn’t put it past her that she would order an attack on their own base. In fact, it was his preferred reality. Compared to the possibility that an unknown faction had acquired access to his Power Suits, the idea that Vert or Silvermind had gone mad with power was quite comforting.
There was a lot to process. First of all, the confirmation of his Shadow-Type theory. He didn’t even need to spell out Shadow-Type before Executive Ladon had confirmed it. Team Liberty had figured it out rather quickly. Perhaps it was due to the other attacks that occurred. It made some sense to James that Ford of all people would be attacked. But who else had been targeted?
He decided to try and clear that up before he continued down the proverbial Diggersby hole. “Pardon, but there were other attacks? Who else was targeted?”
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Post by Konuju on Oct 16, 2020 9:19:04 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke/Jayron Aaron/Adam Shaw – Crash Site, Island By the time the Snowpoint trio arrived back at the boat, the battle was already well under way. Jayron, Lucario, and Colleen had collectively formed an aura barrier around the boat to shield it from the attacks flying left and right. A large, angry Hydreigon was currently bombarding the shield with some shadowy variant of Dragon Pulse or Dark Pulse. Dack couldn't tell for certain what the attack was, but this was most definitely the Shadow Pokémon they were after.
Colleen's Blastoise and Ryan's Typhlosion had both Mega Evolved and were assisting Jayron's Metagross and Adam's Alolan Golem in keeping the Hydreigon occupied – or at least attempting to. The constant barrage of attacks was enough to force the Shadow Pokémon higher into the air, but it only allowed for a moment of reprieve before it swooped down to resume its attack from a different angle.
"About time you showed up, Majors!" Adam called out with a scowl. "We need you to keep that thing close to the ground!"
Biting his tongue against a snarky response, Dack whistled for Swellow to engage the Hydreigon. A Brave Bird assault got the Shadow Pokémon's attention, and a timely use of Agility managed to distract the dragon long enough for the other Pokémon to take aim.
"A little to the left, Blastoise," Adam cried. Colleen's Pokémon grunted in distaste at this stranger giving her orders, but seeing how her own trainer was currently occupied she begrudgingly adjusted her cannons. "Typhlosion, move directly under it. We can't have you setting the whole island ablaze."
Unlike Kammy, Typhlosion's trainer was fully capable of giving him orders. Ryan shook his head at his Pokémon's questioning look. "Just do what he says."
Once all the Pokémon were in position, Swellow began to force the Hydreigon lower to the ground. On Adam's command, four attacks went sailing toward the enraged dragon – A Dragon Pulse from Kammy, Flamethrower from Typhlosion, a Charge Beam from Golem, and an Ice Punch from Metagross. The combined attacks sent the Hydreigon careening into the aura barrier. The dragon let out a ferocious roar and blasted the barrier with another shadow attack.
Jayron cried out as his portion of the barrier fell, forcing him to his knees. Lucario immediately dropped his own portion of the barrier to Extremespeed over to the Hydreigon's side before it could target Jayron. You will not take this ship, you fell creature! Lucario's fists flew faster than the eye could see as he forced the Shadow Pokémon back. As the Hyreigon began to back up, Lucario spared a glance back at his partner. Get up, Jayron! Our priority is keeping that ship safe!
The Aura Wielder clenched his gloved hand into a fist as he rose to his feet. "On the contrary, our priority is to end this battle as quickly as possible. I've been acting as a shield for too long. Perhaps it's time I brought out the sword!" Spreading out both palms, Jayron summoned a storm of Aura Needles. The daggers of light arced toward the Shadow Hydreigon from all angles, leaving it no chance to evade. Jayron's eyes glowed with power as he directed the daggers around Lucario. "I'm ready to fight by your side, partner."
Jayron felt a new power rise within him. It wasn't the same as aura, but had that same emotional energy. It was like a physical manifestation of his bond with his trusted Pokémon. That same power rose within Lucario, enveloping the Aura Pokémon in a dazzling rainbow light that exploded around him, forcing the Hydreigon further back.
When the glow started to fade, a new creature stood in Lucario's place. His fur bristled up around his neck and tail. Dark lines ran up and down his arms and legs like war paint. His hands and feet had turned crimson, with spikes protruding out of both sets of appendages. The dreadlocks dangling from the back of his head elongated, their tips turning crimson. The Mega Lucario turned back to face Jayron. I'm glad to have you by my side, he said with a smile.
Sensing an opening, the Hydreigon moved to strike Lucario from behind. Without even turning to face his enemy, the Mega Pokémon reached and grabbed the Hydreigon by the jaw. With unbelievable speed he drove the dragon into the ground and blasted it with an Aura Sphere.
The Hyrdeigon weakly raised its head as Jayron and Lucario cautiously approached. "You have shadow in your aura, my friend," Jayron said softly. Both trainer and Pokémon's eyes glowed as a gentle aura began to envelop the Shadow Pokémon. "This won't purify you right away, but it will at least help take the edge off. Now, let's get you—"
An Ultra Ball flew out of the corner of Jayron's eye. Before he or Lucario could stop it, the capsule struck the Shadow Pokémon and pulled it in. The ball fell to the ground and clicked, signifying a successful capture.
"Couldn't let you have all the fun," Adam said with a smirk as he walked up to the ball. "I think this Hydreigon will make a nice addition to my arsenal."
"Give it here," Jayron ordered. "That's a Shadow Pokémon. You can't control it."
"And you can?" Adam laughed. "I don't think so. I caught it fair and square. That's how this works, right? It's not like this is one of your R.A.L.L.Y. missions where Liberty leadership decides who keeps the Pokémon."
"No, but as a Shadow Pokémon—"
"Just drop it," Colleen said, putting a hand on Jayron's shoulder. "He's not worth it. Besides, right now we need to focus on getting the ship to water."
"Speaking of which," Luke quickly offered before the situation could get further out of hand. "We found something you might want to know about."
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Post by Parugi on Oct 17, 2020 23:24:25 GMT -8
IC - Chrono - Strange Tower: (Current position)On closer inspection, Chrono was able to confirm that this device was some variant of a Pokétch. It seemed to expand into a slightly larger screen, which ultimately put it closer in size to a Poké Gear. Unfortunately, as much as he prodded at it, the device was locked, rendering its contents inaccessible. IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Market, Village Bridge:Kyle shook his head. "I don't know where all they were attacking--as far as I know it was just us. But I don't think it was Missing Zero," he said. "They were like the Power Suits from One Island, but these ones were different--their attacks had elemental properties, but they seemed stronger than regular attacks." He hesitated, shoulders drooping as his eyes fell downward. "One of them was being piloted by a Liberty Agent who disappeared a while ago--someone I knew. Almost like she was being controlled. I don't know who could've done that to her, though, or how they could do it." IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:"The other targets, let's see . . . Guthrie?" The Executive held out a hand to one of her agents, who passed over a data pad. Ladon swiped through its menus, pulling up the relevant information. "The individuals involved in the other attacks were a set of Rocket Agents in the Mess Hall--a Gavin Braner, Lucia Zyther, and Skye Hall. Luckily they managed to fend off their attackers without any serious injuries. The other group was attacked in the Daycare and comprised several of the Shadow Admins' children--Joker's son Will and daughter Sam, and Sleight's son Levi. Ace's daughter Esen Windred was also present, as was Executive Eston's son Kyle. That one we found out about after Windred and Sam reported it; the three boys have gone missing and we haven't been able to contact any of them." She handed the data pad back to Guthrie and then looked squarely at James. "I get the feeling that you've got some theories about who could've orchestrated strikes like that, or at least why they did it. Am I wrong?" IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Vertrag - Vertrag:"Ellen!" Sonja breathed, relieved to see that the younger girl was alright. "That's actually exactly why we called--Skye and Levi were attacked and we wanted to make sure they hadn't gotten to you." She frowned, noticing the look on Ellen's face and the telltale signs of distress in her eyes. "Are you okay? Did something happen in that attack?" Ford rubbed his chin, exchanging a concerned look with Hayes. "I suppose that confirms our theory," he said. The Shadowed Man put a hand gently on Sonja's shoulder as she fretted. "Ellen, my dear, where are you now? It would be in your best interest if we brought you back to Vertrag to discuss this; the Second can be there immediately to pick you all up." Hayes looked surprised at this. "You want me to bring her, as well?" she said, gesturing to Shannon. "Are you sure that's wise?" "We've already opened our halls to outsiders," Ford said. "And if there were others involved in these battles, I would certainly like to get as much information as possible from them about what they witnessed. That is easier done if we can congregate safely."
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Post by Konuju on Oct 20, 2020 18:08:08 GMT -8
IC: Chrono - Empty Room, Strange Tower The Purrloin frowned. While thieving came naturally to him, computer skills did not. He was sure someone, somewhere would be able to hack into the device, but until he found such a person the device proved useless to him. Nevertheless, he carried the device in his mouth as he continued making his way north through the ventilation shafts.
IC: Paul Burks/Anson Brawns - Vendor Stand, Village Bridge A worried look crossed Paul's face. "Those Power Suits were Liberty's design, right? And you say a mind-controlled Liberty agent was piloting this one?"
Anson took note of his friend's worry. "You don't think Ellen's roped up in all that, do you?"
Paul shook his head. "Evan and Jenny didn't take her to the Alamo. I understand her desire to protect others, but I don't like the thought of her fighting in a war." He looked at Kyle. "You and your friends are good people, but at the end of the day Team Liberty's just another military organization." A heavy silence fell among the group. Then Paul turned his attention to Will. "The infirmary's a few blocks away. Do you think you have the strength to make it there, or do you need me to carry you? Anson can look over the shop while we're gone."
IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows - Park, Ecruteak City "Um . . ." Ellen looked around. "We're in a park in Ecruteak. I'm not exactly sure which one, but I'm sure Vertrag can--"
"We're in Maple Leaf Park," Shannon interjected. "But what's this about whisking us all away? Some of us live here, you know. You can't just take us in for questioning like you're some police officer or something."
"Shannon." Ellen tried her best to calm her new friend down. "We don't know who just attacked us -- nobody does -- and right now Ford is the best equipped to handle it. These are good people. They're my friends. I'm sure once they're done questioning you, they can bring us all back here."
Good people, Symbio mused. Yeah, I suppose they all are, now that the giant evil clown has been kicked out of their club.
"You can come get us," Ellen said, ignoring Shannon's visible confusion. "Evan, Jenny, and Chloe are here too, along with their friend Corey. Although, speaking of the attack . . ." Ellen looked over at Sonja. "Something did happen. Chrono's gone missing. We think he may have followed one of the soldiers when they teleported away. Vertrag, I hate to intrude, but do you think you could try and locate him?"
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Post by Parugi on Oct 20, 2020 21:43:10 GMT -8
IC - Chrono - Strange Tower: (Current position)Exiting the break room, Chrono continued northward. His timing was solid--two guards were approaching the door just as he moved away from it, completely unaware of his presence. The hallway immediately split off to the east; it went down quite a ways, with a couple of additional branches about halfway down, before terminating in a door at the very end. Ignoring this for now, the Dark-Type followed the path north. Several yards down, it turned to the right, where another door blocked the hall. This was easily bypassed, allowing Chrono access to a small receiving area with doors at either end of the east wall. Again, easily bypassed into something far more interesting. Past this small room lay a tall, wide, open room. The acoustics bounced loudly in the open space, though aside from the air conditioning units, there was not much noise to be amplified. A number of guards roamed the room, primarily focused on the various doorways dotting the place. The only doors not guarded were those along the northern wall, which were guarded from the outside. Chrono knew this because this wall was composed of mostly foggy glass panels, and he could see the silhouettes of the guards stationed in the sunlight beyond. And there it was: The facility's main entrance. It was hard to discern what lay beyond, and thus difficult to tell where he might have ended up, but Chrono could see for certain that it was still a light gray outside as the sun shone through stormy clouds above. Device in mouth, it would be easy to find a ventilation panel that led outside from here--in fact he was certain he could see one just north of him. The alternative was to head back, further into the base. IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Market, Village Bridge:"You and your friends are good people, but at the end of the day Team Liberty's just another military organization." Kyle didn't respond. It was a fair point, and one that he mostly agreed with, but he couldn't muster up the energy to explain why he felt like the problem at hand wasn't as simple as that. Instead he took a break from speaking to take a long drink of water, his eyes set on a point off in the crowd. After a while, Paul spoke again, this time to Will. "The infirmary's a few blocks away. Do you think you have the strength to make it there, or do you need me to carry you? Anson can look over the shop while we're gone." The younger boy moved his hands away from his ankle, the psychic glow fading from his palms. He moved it slightly, wincing from the renewed pain, but was glad to note that the damage was much less severe than it had been. "I wouldn't mind a lift," Will replied sheepishly. "I need a little longer to work on this to get it healed faster, but I could definitely use a professional opinion before then." "Professional opinion," Levi repeated absentmindedly, before his face lit up and he turned to Kyle. "Hey, do you think Mr. Burks might be able to fix your Pokétch?" Kyle looked surprised. "Oh, right." He unclipped the device, holding it out to show the impact damage to Paul. "I know you're a blacksmith, so this might be a little different than what you normally work with, but is this something you could possibly fix? It'd be the easiest way to get word back to the Alamo that we're safe--and the easiest way to get us back there." IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Vertrag - Vertrag:For a moment, Hayes looked about ready to snap at Shannon. She was interrupted by a wave of the hand from Ford. "You are more than welcome to stay, if you prefer. We have no evidence to suggest that they will return anytime soon, and I have no doubt that the lot of you could repel a second wave even if they did," he said. "However, my suspicion is that Miss Burks was the target of the attack on your group; thus it is more her safety I am concerned for than anything else, and I cannot in good conscience leave her to dawdle about in the open. The rest of you are tangential, although--as I said before--it would likely be in your best interest to retreat to where these assailants cannot follow, just in case. That being said, you are more than welcome to join us if you so choose--the invitation is open." At that, he nodded to Hayes. She shook her head, turning and heading toward the base's exit to begin her task. "Not to intrude on the conversation," Ethan called. "But y'all might want to come back, anyway--sounds like Liberty and the others are making a big announcement. Might be a good idea to catch a ride here and get a live viewing if you can." As for Chrono, Vertrag said. I can certainly work on tracking him down, Miss Burks; I will add that to my current emergency search and contact operations. I will offer a word of caution in that it will take some time to find him given the lack of direction on where he could have gone."That's okay," Sonja said gently, looking from Vertrag to Ellen. "Chrono's strong and independent--I'm sure he'll be fine until we're able to get to him." She was very glad that Symbio was on the other side of the screen at the moment. Try as she might to stop herself, a part of her could not help but point out the odds that Vertrag might not find Chrono in time to save him. Luckily--or unluckily--there were other matters at hand to distract her. Ford looked at Vertrag, and then at the other call screen. "Still no response from the Seventh?" Negative, the AI responded. I cannot currently ascertain the cause."And no results on locating the Eighth, the young Moreno, or Mr. Eston?" Unfortunately not. The AI crossed its arms behind its back. A friendly reminder, Master, my scanning capabilities are of limited speed without set area parameters. They could have teleported to potentially anywhere in the world, and that is a lot of area to scan on short notice."No, no, I recall," Ford said. "But the fact that you have not picked them up yet does indicate that they are unlikely to be on Four Island or in the surrounding area. I suppose there's nothing to do but keep at it, then." He lifted his head, seemingly speaking to the air. "Madison, are you ready?" "Affirmative," Hayes's voice responded from the air around them, as if speaking over a radio. "Teleporting now."
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Post by minun4 on Oct 21, 2020 12:33:22 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block
James certainly had some thoughts on the matter. He was still about one piece short of solving the puzzle. “Nothing so elaborate, just a few observations,” James said with false modesty.
“Forgive me if I try to use some discretion in my word choice. The information I wish to discuss should not be overheard by unauthorized personnel,” James said before turning to the main currently bandaging his hand. “No offense intended.”
The medic shrugged.
James continued. “Why someone would go after John Ford is almost self-explanatory. However with Skye Hall and Levi Alaric being involved in the other two attacks, a more clear pattern emerges for those familiar with the Two Island mission,” James said as images of the pillars and their occupants came to mind. “As for their intentions, I can think of several possibilities off-hand. Without further information, I cannot deduce which is the truth.”
Not knowing bothered him, but there was something more pressing to address first. “It is the fact that whoever ordered these attacks had to have been familiar with the Two Island mission that concerns me. Between the identities of those associated with John Ford and the ability to create Power Suits, our adversary has access to multiple pieces of information they should not. Not to mention the matter of the power cutting off right before the attack occurred.”
James paused for a moment. Bringing up Shadow Pokémon reminded him of Roderick Krane. His death was still unsolved. If this was somehow related to his death, then it’d be on him for not seeing his friend’s murder solved before things got worse. He tightened his hands at the thought.
“Keep your hand still,” the medic said as James ruined the bandaging by moving at the wrong moment.
“My apologies,” James said as he loosened his hand. He kept talking to distract himself from his thoughts. “As for the Shadow Pokemon aspect of this. This is something Team Rocket could accomplish. There were others in the past. But before his death, Roderick Krane dealt with them, as far as I am aware. If others still exist, I do not know them. However, the attack on Levi Alaric makes Team Rocket an unlikely suspect, as well. Sleight could simply ask for son back, if he wanted him off Four Island.”
“This brings us to the crux of the matter,” James said. “It is my belief that in order to commit this crime, one would have had to either compromise the security of both Team Liberty and Team Rocket, or have gained their cooperation willingly.”
“The former is not impossible, but the two people most qualified to do that were imprisoned right across from each other in this very cell block until just now. And I doubt that Team Rocket would simply hand out information on producing Shadow Pokémon.” This was the part James had the least evidence. After all, it is impossible to prove that something is impossible.
“Of course, this brings us back to where we started. The organizations who had the opportunity had motive not to commit the crime.” He kept coming back to this point. It was the part that didn’t make sense to him. What was so immediately pressing and unsavory that they’d be willing to kidnap someone already in their possession?
However just because he couldn’t fathom their ultimate motive, it didn’t mean he couldn’t prove that they did do it.
“May I ask a question? Have there been a series of abductions of Team Rocket and Team Liberty personnel recently?” he asked full-well knowing well what the answer would be, due to his unauthorized monitoring of Liberty going-ons.
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Post by Parugi on Oct 21, 2020 21:37:51 GMT -8
IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:
"Unfortunately Déoza has remained just as active in Hoenn as before Pierce was removed from power," Ladon said. "In short, yes. Abductions in the region have continued amidst smaller strikes, although none that I'm aware of have involved assailants like this. We presume that they're being spirited away to Sootopolis, but have not been able to confirm that--nothing gets in or out of the city from what we've been able to see, so our knowledge of what is happening there is virtually nonexistent." She frowned. "You think they're involved?"
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Post by minun4 on Oct 22, 2020 12:03:26 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block
The medic finished the bandaging and got up. James didn’t seem to notice. He was smiling.
“I think you can prove that they are, right now,” James said. “These were the first Shadow-Type Suits you were able to recover, correct?”
The gears in James's head were working together like well-maintained clockwork. Whoever was in the suit fought without regard for its own life. It wasn’t a stretch to assume that their own emotions had been suppressed in the same manner as Shadow Pokémon. In that case, his theory on who it was under the helmet was possible. His logic regarding who was capable of arranging this was sound. If the conclusion this all led him to was true, then it was time to take a calculated risk.
“I would like to propose a wager,” James said, standing to meet Executive Ladon at eye-level. “If you can identify the bodies, and match their identities to those of the abduction victims, it would be proof positive of ‘Déoza’s’ involvement. And in that scenario, I would like you to inform me first. And I would like to be able to tell you something. No cameras, no witnesses beyond your Pokémon. And I want you to believe me when I say it.”
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Post by Parugi on Oct 22, 2020 17:47:55 GMT -8
IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:
Ladon crossed her arms, drumming her fingers along her forearm and closing her eyes. By now all of her agents had stepped out of the room, save for a pair of them who now watched her closely. Finally, she raised her head, staring at the ceiling for a moment before looking at James.
"I can't make guarantees about what I will and won't believe without hearing some hard evidence to support it," she said. "But fine. Depending on what we find, you may be seeing me again in a couple of days. And if that's the case, it'd better be worth it." She looked to her right-hand man. "Get a maintenance crew down here to start repairing Ford and Hayes's cells. I want an additional shift from our unit to keep an eye on this area until further notice, as well--I don't want to chance the possibility of anything happening down here again unless and until I've gotten a look at those bodies." The man saluted and headed out. Ladon looked at James again. "If you've got nothing else, then it's time I start looking into this."
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Post by minun4 on Oct 23, 2020 10:50:06 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo
James nodded, his face a bit more solemn than it was. It was a bit too much to hope that she would promise to believe him. But, her interest had been piqued. It was a start, at least.
"I will see you later, Executive Ladon," James said.
When the other Executive had left, James went to go sit down on the bed. He wasn't going to get much typing done today. Not with his hand the way it was. Not to mention the additional bodies that were going to be moving in and out of the VIP Cell Block would make it hard to get away with it.
James sat on the bed in silent contemplation. He was already tired from the day’s events, but he couldn’t get to sleep yet. That was dependent on Percival returning as soon as it was safe to do so. If Vert or Silvermind learned what he had just said to Executive Ladon, they might try something rather stupid.
The moves that those two were making were becoming more dangerous, more reckless. Up to this point, their actions, despicable as they were, had understandable motivations. Even their motive for murdering Goldhawk was comparable to the one James had for getting rid of them. Getting rid of incompetents that were preventing them from saving the world. In and of themselves, producing the Shadow-Type Suits had military application. But kidnapping their own agents? Attempting to kidnap their own prisoners? Trying to blame them on the bogeyman of Déoza at least made some sense. The final judgement on them required knowing their ultimate goal.
James took a deep breath. There was one thing that was clear. Unless the answer was damn persuasive, Vert and Silvermind needed to go. And when the time said answer came, he had to be ready. It was time to stack the deck.
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Post by Konuju on Oct 23, 2020 14:48:26 GMT -8
IC: Chrono - Strange Tower Chrono didn't hesitate. He had seen enough of this facility to have a pretty good idea of what was going on here. Prisoners were being experimented on and turned into soulless, almost robotic soldiers who piloted Shadow Suits and were sent to attack people like Ellen, only to be disposed of in an eerie pool of water.
Plus, he couldn't stand the ventilation shafts anymore. He longed for the open air, room to stretch his legs and roam freely. At least, that's what he told himself. In truth, what he had witnessed through those vents haunted him. But he could never admit that, not even to himself. And so he turned his back on the dark facility and carefully exited to the outside world. It was time to get his bearings and figure out just where he had ended up.
IC: Paul Burks - Market, Village Bridge The blacksmith took the Pokétch and turned it over in his hand. "I can take a look once we get your friend patched up. Worst case, my wife Anna knows a local watchmaker. I know this thing is a little more advanced than a pocket watch, but he'll at least have better tools for the job. You don't exactly want me going at this thing with a hammer and anvil. Now--" He hoisted Will up on his back. "Let's get you to that infirmary, shall we?"
And so Paul and Will ducked out of the busy market, with Kyle and Levi following behind them. It really seemed like the entire village was at the marketplace, for as soon as they stepped away the noise of small talk faded away like it had never been there in the first place. Water lazily lapped against the shoreline under the bridge and the occasional Wingull cawed out far above, but other than that the village was silent.
"So, Levi," Paul said, turning to glance at the younger boy. "What have you been up to these past few months?"
OOC: Slight bunnying with permission from Alku.
IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows - Maple Leaf Park, Ecruteak City Ellen and Shannon turned around to see Madison Hayes teleport into the middle of the former battlefield. The Second Child looked as serious as ever; whether that was due to Shannon's attitude, something between her and Sonja, or simply the situation at hand, Ellen couldn't tell. Regardless, she warmly walked up to the psychic. "Thanks for coming to get us," she said, a smile playing on her face. "I can't help but remember the first time you teleported me somewhere. It seems like so long ago."
Hard to believe it's been almost a year since then, Symbio said.
"Hayes." Evan locked eyes with the Second. Ellen could tell there were unspoken words between the two, but neither gave any indication of saying anything more. Jenny, Chloe, and Corey all approached as well, evidently wishing to join the group at Vertrag.
That left Shannon and Tyranitar. "I'm sorry if I implied I didn't want your hospitality," the girl stammered. "It just caught me by surprise is all. But if you're going to learn more about those people who attacked us and how we can stop them . . ." Shannon took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Then she let it out slowly. Only when she had fully exhaled did she speak. "I want in. This world isn't getting any less dangerous, and I need to be able to protect myself and others." Tyranitar looked over at Shannon in surprise, to which the girl softly smiled. "It's what he would have wanted," she said under her breath.
IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan/Jayron Aaron/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke/Adam Shaw - Boat, Orange Islands Ryan stood at the bow of the ship, looking out into the distance. He held his mother's necklace in his hand, the bright silver glistening in the sun. Once Dack and the others had found a path back to the ocean, it was a relatively simple matter to move the boat back into the water -- one made simpler with the added power of Lucario's Mega Evolution. On top of that, Dack had found evidence that the island's previous inhabitants had built a raft of their own to escape. And thanks to the campsite Ryan and Colleen had found, they knew those people to be Ryan's parents. With nothing but a direction and newfound hope, they set sail.
It felt strange to be so close. After such a long journey, he was finally on the right trail. His parents were almost within his grasp. Would they even recognize him after a year and a half? He wasn't sure if he even recognized himself. Gone was the scared little boy who had been chased out of his home. It felt like a lifetime ago. It was a pivotal moment for sure, but Ryan never could have guessed just how much that moment would change his life.
Was it mere chance that Team Rocket had chased him out into the world? Mere coincidence that he happened across a group of Liberty agents outside Cerulean City? There were so many different ways his life could have gone. So many alternate endings. Yet this was the path he had taken. There had been ups and downs. Good decisions and bad ones. But he wouldn't have it any other way. Would his life have been less traumatic had his parents never been arrested? Certainly. But he honestly couldn't say if he'd be happier. The battles he had fought, the friends he had made, none of it would have happened if he'd stayed in Fortree.
"We're coming up on an island." Dack approached Ryan from behind and stood next to him, looking out across the sea. "It just came up on the radar, it should be visible on the horizon shortly."
"Good." Ryan nodded, running a finger across his mother's necklace.
Dack turned to him. "You know your parents might not even be at this island. The winds and waves here can change drastically, and it looks like they were on a pretty small raft. They might not have kept their course as well as we have."
"I know." Ryan smiled. "But there's still hope. You know, every island we've been to -- every single one -- I've hoped to find my parents there. I had nothing to go on, no way of knowing, but I still hoped. This time is different. We have evidence that my parents were here, in this area. Maybe they never made it to this island in particular, but my hope is so much stronger."
"Always looking on the bright side, Sanders." Dack chuckled. "You're really good at that, you know?"
"Yeah . . ." Ryan looked back out on the horizon. He could just barely make out a tiny island, an almost invisible speck in the distance. "You just haven't seen me at my worst. Believe me, I'm not always sunshine and rainbows. But there's a bright side to everything. You just have to know where to look."
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Post by Parugi on Oct 26, 2020 22:10:22 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Market, Village Bridge:
"Um . . . not a lot," Levi said, rubbing a hand along his arm. "I've just been at the Alamo and it's been mostly pretty boring." He glanced at Will and Kyle. "I mean . . . It was, at least."
IC - Madison Hayes - Vertrag:
After giving a curt nod to Evan, Hayes looked at Ellen and Symbio. Whereas Ellen offered a friendly smile, the expression only bemused Hayes. "Guess it has been a while," she said. "I'm surprised you'd consider that a pleasant memory, Ninth." She looked around the field, frowning. "This is a conversation best continued later, though; I don't like the feel of this place."
Without further delay, she focused her power again. The psychic field enveloped all seven of the trainers and their Pokémon; a moment later, with a sensation as if they were being lifted off of their feet, they appeared before the hidden entrance to Vertrag, tucked away from view along Four Island's shores. The entry elevator appeared and all stepped in. The new arrivals all bore witness to the same circular scanners that few before them had experienced. Before long, they began to descend.
Hayes leaned against the elevator wall, arms crossed as she eyed the trainers around her. "I . . . assume," she said to Evan, Jenny, and Chloe, as if struggling to think of what to say. "that you've been . . . doing well since the ritual occurred."
IC - Chrono:
The bright sunlight momentarily blinded Chrono as he exited the facility, finding himself free from the still, stuffy interior of the place and out in a world where the ocean crashed against rock and the a chill wind blew about with the currents. As his vision cleared, he finally came to bear with his surroundings. He was standing just outside of a large complex floating on an artificial island in the middle of a place surrounded on all sides by water, and surrounded further out by pockmarked, white rock. A bridge connected the facility to the larger bowl, where buildings lined the cliff faces everywhere he looked.
It did not take the Dark-Type longer than a moment to realize where he was. But even then, the atmosphere of Sootopolis City had completely changed since he had last visited.
The streets were clear of any of the easygoing, helpful citizens that had once gone about their day. Instead they had been replaced by armed and armored patrols, each group four to six in number, of the same guards that Chrono had seen inside the place. The houses and shops, he could see, were in much worse condition than he remembered--many were damaged as if from having been caught in the crossfire of battle, and more than a few had either their doors or windows or both boarded shut. The Cave of Origins, which typically bore a soft glow of light from within, now lay dark and dormant. Near the top of parts of the cliffs composing Sootopolis's walls, airships occasionally landed or departed; those in the latter category were soon exited by more of these armed men and women, typically with a prisoner in tow.
Everywhere Chrono looked, he saw the emblem and the distorted work of Déoza.
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alku
Technician
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Post by alku on Oct 27, 2020 9:04:57 GMT -8
IC: Evan Tierra
Evan had spent the time eying Hayes, something akin to a cold fury in his eyes. The man had never even considered that he'd be in this close proximity to someone whom he had such anger toward. Then there was her awkward question, which only made his anger grow. He considered yelling at her, but then recalled that Jenny and Ellen were around, and he didn't want to stress them out further. "Things have only made us stronger, if anything." Evan replied. "So, you could say that, yeah."
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Post by Parugi on Oct 31, 2020 21:55:24 GMT -8
IC - Ballonlea, Galar - October 31st, 2017:
The Glimwood Tangle was supposed to be a place of peace and wonder. Nowadays, it was anything but.
Not long ago, something had crashed in the woods near Ballonlea. Ever since then, the woods--and the city--had become infested with monsters that, only a few months before, had been merely glimpsed in passing on the television as news from the Sevii Islands trickled out to the rest of the world. Then, of course, those same creatures had come to Unova, destroying in a night what many around the world considered to be one of the most fortified bastions of the human world. It was only through their mistakes and the foreknowledge of what was to come that the same fate had been avoided in the nestled-away village of fairies, its residents ferried off to safety under the watchful protection of the Pokémon League.
And now the place had become something of a war zone, as the true protectors of Galar sought to keep their invaders contained to the woods.
To an outsider, it would have looked like a scene from ancient times brought to bear in modern day. Dozens of warriors, clad in shining armor and wielding all sorts of armaments, spread throughout the woods on the very edge of Ballonlea. Swords and spears sliced and stabbed against the growing tide of Instances pressing out of the village, backed up by masterfully-trained Pokémon that helped to even the power disparity between their trainers and their enemies.
Above the field, situated on a rising slope that overlooked the town, two knights stood amongst a group of archers. They watched as a group of Plite appeared through the tree line. These Instances had been particularly numerous throughout the last few weeks; though details on these creatures were scarce, their presence was not of much surprise considering the large number of Fairy-Types that occupied the woods. Luckily, they knew how to deal with Fairy-Types.
"Ready your bows!" one of the senior knights shouted, lance raised high. Her armor was jagged and angular, tinted with royal purple and light blue. On her chest was a symbol of a winged dragon, and her long, thick cape swept in the wind behind her. The archers around her drew their arrows, each tipped with noxious purple gems, and took aim. In the branches around them, several Pokémon did the same--Inteleon aiming their water rifles, Decidueye aiming their own bows.
The knight swung her blade down. "Fire!"
Torrents of arrows and mixed Pokémon attacks filled the sky, tearing through the feathery wings and bodies of the approaching Plite. The frail creatures could do little to survive the damage, many of them falling with faint cries of agony as the poison arrows did their work. A small number managed to avoid damage by using their own attacks to redirect the arrows shooting toward them, or else throwing their hands forward and absorbing the attacks through their palms. A moment later, however, these survivors fell as a Beedrill sped forward, its body strangely angular as if wearing armor. It spun through the air, slicing through one Plite and stabbing through another. Soon the remainder had been felled, raining destroyed Instances down into the battle below.
The Winged Dragon's Knight looked to the other beside her. "Your Beedrill deserves the utmost praise, Sir Morana," she said. "This 'Mega Evolution' has certainly turned it into a beast in a league of its own."
Sir Morana scoffed. Her armor was similar decorated to the other's but bore different coloration, with decorative coloring leaning toward black and violet. Whereas her companion's was angular, this armor was lean and smooth in design, and her helmet was covered by a raised hood. She stood with her arms crossed, a bow and quiver strung across her back. "It has also removed any semblance of challenge, Sir Celandine," she said. "Frankly, I am having difficulty understanding why the other regions are having such trouble against these creatures."
"Do not be so callous," Celandine chided. "We are fortunate to have only suffered so lightly, and with the foreknowledge to minimize our losses. Others cannot say the same."
"I suppose so," Morana said. "Still, it troubles me that we have yet to see anything worse than the basic Types. According to the files from Liberty, we should have seen more powerful variants by now."
"You don't consider those more powerful?" Celandine pointed into the fray below, where a group of Galarian warriors were engaged against a Meadiant. As they watched, three of the warriors charged forward, jamming fiery spears into the massive creature from the front. It grimaced in pain, but soon retaliated by bringing its heavy arm down on the weapons, breaking them out of its armored torso. It stumbled then from a sudden attack by a Cinderace, which left the foliage on its body burning.
"I refer to the samurai," Morana said. "Or the wendigo that was reported. Or even the dragon." She shook her head. "What I wouldn't give to face one of those beasts in battle."
"Well, you may yet find the challenge you seek."
So it was, for something new approached the battle of Ballonlea. It was something massive, larger than anything they had yet seen, of such a size that the very ground beneath their feet shook at its approach. Sirs Morana and Celandine watched as the shape appeared first as a silhouette within the fog, before soon breaking through to reveal itself.
It was as if one of the largest of Glimwood Tangle's trees had come to life. The creature towered over the field, dozens of stories tall, its form like a strange mixture between a mushroom and a tree. A thick, dark trunk led up from a complex system of roots that writhed wildly and pulled it through the ground, carving a trail of churned earth in its wake. The top of the trunk branched out into a thick, uniform cover of leaves interspersed with glowing orbs of color like the fungi that dotted the forest. Dozens and dozens of thick, tentacle-like vines hung from the canopy, twisting and undulating together endlessly; every so often the outermost vines would brush against the surrounding trees, causing it to instantly ensnare and tighten around the trunk until it splintered from sheer pressure. A large space opened within the canopy, revealing an uneven area of darkness wherein a single, ovular emblem shone, golden in color. It was almost like a massive eye, glaring out at the creatures beneath it. The Galarian warriors had no trouble maneuvering out of its way as it bore down on them; several Instances did not even bother, disappearing into its roots as it crawled forward.
Morana pulled her bow. "Now there's a true battle."
"Ma'am," one of the archers said. "Shall we focus fire?"
"No. Continue supporting the ground forces, and send the word for them to pull back into the village," Celandine said. She held a gauntlet forward, releasing her Corviknight. "This one's what we're here for."
The Raven Pokémon shifted down, allowing its trainer to climb aboard its back. With two powerful beats of its massive, metallic wings, it took flight, charging forward into the village's airspace. With a whistle, Morana's Mega Beedrill swooped forward; she gripped the harness on its back, allowing the Mega Evolved Pokémon to carry her to a better vantage point in the trees. As she stepped off, it zipped forward toward their enemy.
The new Instance noticed their approach almost immediately. With a baritone groan like the creaking of many branches, its movement slowed and it shifted into an attack. The glowing orbs interspersed among its branches began to glow in a steady, rhythmic pattern. Celandine's eyes narrowed underneath her helmet. With a subtle twist of her hand, she directed her Corviknight to dive down. As it swooped toward the damaged rooftops of the village, the Winged Dragon's Knight heard the droning beams of energy passing by, failing to make contact with its target. Beedrill did not even bother dodging, instead throwing a bladed arm forward and stabbing through the strange, orb-like attacks.
"Psychic-Type attack, huh?" Sir Morana's voice chirped in Celandine's earpiece. "Adorable. It thinks it can fool us."
As Corviknight righted itself, shifting its path to strafe around the tree Instance, Celandine glanced up toward Morana's position. She watched as the Dusk Bane's Knight, crouched atop a thick branch about fifty feet above the village, pulled back the string of her bow, a thick, metallic arrow tipped with a jagged, purple gem set against the string. With expert technique, she took aim and loosed her attack. The arrow shot straight and true, too quick for the naked eye to follow. The next moment, the giant Instance doubled over, its body creaking with the motion. Bubbling, purple veins of poison erupted from the point of impact, rapidly spreading up the creature's body. The creature shuddered; one of its vines reached down, wrapping around the shaft of the arrow and yanking it free.
"How's that taste, monster?" Celandine could hear the smirk in Morana's voice. She was already loading another shot. "Beedrill, give it another taste."
The Poison Bee Pokémon shot forward, stingers primed with a Poison Jab. The Instance straightened up, vines extending and shooting forward to meet its opponent. Beedrill found itself surrounded on all sides, dodging around wooden whips at every turn, purple blades slicing through appendages as it carved its way closer to the Instance. Finally, it broke through, jamming four stingers into the creature's trunk before pulling back and darting away. The creature retaliated with another barrage of attacks; these exploded in the air behind Beedrill, which moved too quickly for the giant to compensate.
Still, despite the solid hits, the thing did not seem to be slowing down at all. Even the initial, heavy hits of damage did not seem to have stuck for long.
"This is getting annoying," Morana said, now loosing her fourth arrow at the Instance. "Any time you want to get involved, Celandine."
"Sure you don't want to give it a few more shots?"
"Oh, I could do this all day," Morana responded. "Just feels like there might be a quicker way of taking this thing down!"
Celandine smiled, hopping off of Corviknight's back as the Pokémon flew low again. She landed solidly on a rooftop, straightening up to face the oncoming Instance. "Alright," she said, raising Poké Ball in front of her. A device around her wrist began to glow. "Since you asked so nicely."
The Dynamax Band around Corviknight's neck began to resonate with its trainer's. A beam of energy shot forward from the Poké Ball, drawing the Raven Pokémon back into its container. Energy poured forth from her band and into the device; a field of energy the size of a beach ball materialized around it. With a heave, she launched the enlarged Poké Ball forward. It exploded into a blast of white light, releasing Corviknight back onto the field--its size now drastically increased, matching that of the Instance before them.
"Go forth, Corviknight, for the glory of Galar," Celandine called. "Your enemy is weak; bring it down with your Max Steelspike!"
With a booming cry that shook the heavens and the earth, Corviknight sped forward to face its opponent. The creature reared back in challenge, vines whipping frenetically around it as it summoned forth a powerful, last-ditch Frenzy Plant. In response, Corviknight summoned power to itself. The bird's form glowed with energy for a brief moment, before it rained down a hail of metal spikes upon its foe that disrupted the Grass-Type attack at its core. These impaled the creature at dozens of points on its body, pinning it in place. As it groaned in pain, Morana took aim once more, loosing a final arrow directly into its emblem. The golden facade cracked from the impact, and at last, the giant fell still.
"Not bad," Morana called. "You almost made that look easy."
"Indeed," Celandine responded, watching as the Instance's form slumped in death. She turned back to the battle further behind them. "I'll have Corviknight destroy the body. For now, you and Beedrill should get back to the others."
"So we shall." Morana whistled, summoning Beedrill back to her. The Mega Pokémon swooped down, allowing her to grab on again, and carried her away.
Celandine waited until they had fallen back toward the main battle before turning toward the giant Instance again. She observed it for a moment, and then shifted her gaze to a spot in the trees not too far off from herself. "I know you are there, whelp. Show yourself."
"Oh? Saw me slinking about and decided to leave me to my lonesome?" The man's laugh echoed from the woods. "Is that why you took so long to help your little friend back there?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Celandine said. "I figured anyone comfortable enough to sit there and watch this hell unfold warranted some degree of suspicion. From the tone of your voice, it would seem I was correct."
"Oh, come now, lady; be nice." The man materialized from his hiding place, his golden eyes and golden hair shining equally bright in the glimmer of the surrounding woods. His mouth was stretched to one side in a toothy grin. "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
Celandine scowled at him, hand gripped tightly to her lance; at the same time, Corviknight landed in an open area nearby, its massive eyes trained threateningly on the newcomer. "You purport to be trustworthy, yet all I see before me is someone who delights in the narrative of obfuscation."
He cocked his head. "Please, ma'am, you'll have to be a little more on the level with me, as I am but a commoner amongst the elite."
"I am saying that you are a liar." She thrust her lance toward him. "Now, tell me who you are or Corviknight here will see to your swift destruction."
"I can't help but feel such a temper is unbecoming of a knight," the man said. He shrugged, raising his hands. "Can't say you're exactly wrong, though--you've had me pegged from square one. And I'd rather not deal with that thing right now." He jabbed a thumb toward the Dynamaxed Pokémon, flashing a dangerous smile at her. "Name's Treachery. Although most people would call me McKinley. And you are . . .?"
"I am Sir Celandine, the Winged Dragon's Knight of the Spire," she answered proudly.
"Knight of the Spire, huh." McKinley crossed his arms. "Can't say I've ever heard of you before. That's kind of impressive--I've heard of a lot of things, you see."
"It is not a secret that I would ever expect to have reached a demon like you," Celandine responded. "If you go by Treachery, then I am safe to assume that you are related to this Missing Zero. That makes you my sworn enemy. And it makes you an intruder on this land."
McKinley smirked. "Well, with that attitude, I wouldn't expect any sort of friendship between us." He cracked his neck. "You're wrong about the 'intruder' part, though. Far as I'm concerned, this forest is mine now."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," McKinley said. "My brothers and sisters and I are branching out. Staking claims. Spreading the family business, if you will. I've never had much chance or reason to come to Galar, so I figured, 'Why not now?' And here I am. These woods are mine, little girl. Nothing you or your order of pretend knights can do about it."
If she had not been angry before, Celandine certainly was now. It took every ounce of restraint not to simply lunge forward and strike this cretin down where he stood. That, and the feeling in her gut that such an attack was exactly what he was looking for. Instead she took a deep breath, eyes focused on the man before her. "You dare lay claim to the land that your monsters have forcibly displaced," she said. "Have you no shame?"
McKinley rubbed his chin in thought for several moments. "Honestly, no," he said at last. "To be perfectly blunt, I don't care what happens to you, your knights, your soldiers, or any of the people who live here. I'm here to feast, Sir Celandine. And I will do whatever I can to feast, as I always have." He smiled. "So go ahead. Use that lance of yours; I know you want to. The forest is deep, and it hungers, and as long as the Seed of my Sin lies within it, there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me. Of course, you're always welcome to try. But how far do you think you'll make it before the inevitable end comes for you?" He turned around, face distorting into the visage of a monstrous, masked jester for just a brief moment with the movement. "Don't worry, my lady; I'll be seeing you again. Maybe next time the both of us will be able to bring some friends along for the ride."
Celandine watched him disappear into the darkness of the trees again. She was briefly tempted to pursue, but that feeling stopped her in her tracks. Better to report this and make a plan of action than to go off on her own, Dynamax on her side or not. In the meantime, there was a battle to be fought, and she was sure her fellow knights could use an inspirational reprieve.
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Post by Konuju on Nov 4, 2020 19:07:48 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks - Market, Village Bridge "Well, at a place like the Alamo, I'd say boring is good." Paul offered a small smile before silence fell upon the group once more. After a moment, the blacksmith spoke up again. "You know, if you guys don't have a place to stay for the night, you're welcome at my house. It's not much, but I can offer you some air mattresses and a home cooked meal."
IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows - Vertrag While Ellen had been to Vertrag before, she had been unconscious for her arrival, courtesy of McKinley's Xatu -- or whatever that thing really was. This was her first time experiencing the elevator ride down into the depths of the base, her first time witnessing Vertrag's identification scanners. The ride was made more uncomfortable by the tension between Hayes and the others. Ellen merely focused on the scrolling list of her personal information, which surprisingly included Symbio's Mega Evolution and Chrono's missing status.
Her box flashed light yellow in some sort of confirmation and disappeared; out of the corner of her eye she saw Hayes's flash purple as it followed suit. A moment later the remaining boxes flashed white before blinking out of sight.
The elevator doors opened, revealing Vertrag's common area. It feels weird to be back here, Symbio said as he floated into the base. And under very different circumstances.
"It's not a pleasant memory," Ellen abruptly said to Hayes in an effort to stave off the tension between her and Evan. "In answer to what you said back in Ecruteak. You kidnapped Sonja and me and used us as bait. I still think that was wrong. But it also marked the beginning of the journey that's led me here. And where I go from here will also be a result of that moment. The bad parts of life shape us just as much as the good parts. I've grown so much stronger since that day, in part thanks to you. I've realized that potential you claimed to have seen in me, and I intend to use it for good."
IC: Chrono - Sootopolis City The gears in Chrono's mind began to turn. Sootopolis was not an easy city to get in or out of, and if the armed guards were any indication, Déoza had turned the city into a literal fortress. Escape would not be easy. The only ways out of Sootopolis were by air or by sea, and Chrono could neither fly nor swim. Even if he could manage to get out of the city, he was still hundreds of miles away from Ecruteak.
A group of guards approached Chrono's location, forcing the Purrloin to duck into the shadows. Once the patrol had passed, he cautiously slipped into an alley. One problem at a time, he decided. He was fortunate enough to have arrived in a city he had been to before. While he wasn't too familiar with the city, at least it was a start. Ellen had met with a few people here back in July. The first was a petty nobleman who cared more for his status and renown than anything remotely resembling common logic or human decency. It was best to avoid him if at all possible, for he'd sooner set Chrono to chasing Rattata than helping him escape.
The other Sootopolite he knew of was a woman by the name of Kiri. She was somehow related to the Seatons, if he recalled, although he couldn't be bothered to remember her exact relation. Nevertheless, she had been extremely helpful to Ellen, and would no doubt do anything in her power to help Chrono. As the Purrloin carefully slunk through the streets, making his way toward Kiri's house, he could only hope the woman wasn't among the prisoners he had seen back in the Shadow Suit factory.
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Post by Parugi on Nov 6, 2020 17:36:10 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Market, Village Bridge:
"That would be great," Will said. "Maybe we can stop somewhere on the way to pick up some fresh clothes, too? And get a bath when we get there?"
"After the past two days, that sounds like a vacation," Kyle said. "Will your wife mind? Like I said, we don't want to impose if we can help it."
IC - Madison Hayes/Ethan Worth/John Ford/Sonja Baron/Vertrag - Vertrag:
Something about the tone of Evan's response prompted Hayes to glance back at him, and then at Jenny and Shannon. Clearly, she would never admit it, but she had not noticed that one of the girls was down an arm. She remained silent, staring squarely at the elevator door as Vertrag finished its scan and allowed them all entry to the base.
As they stepped into the long hallway from the elevator, she glanced at Ellen. "Has anyone ever told you that you're too insightful for your age?" she asked. Despite her tone, it didn't seem to be a statement of annoyance--mostly. She looked back at Evan and the others. "I'm glad you at least feel stronger for the coming battles. It's just unfortunate that this is something we're having to face at all. If things had worked out--"
"Excuse me, coming through!"
Hayes stepped out of the way as Ethan came barreling through, skidding to a stop in the elevator and immediately pressing what he thought was the button to close the door. The Second Child gritted her teeth. "You'd think a house guest would show a little respect to the household," she snapped.
"Sorry, in a rush!" the Rocket Agent replied as the doors began to close. He gave a quick wave to Evan and Jenny, recognizing them from their previous brief meetings. "Nice to see you! I'll be back probably!" And then the door closed and he was gone.
Hayes shook her head. "Imbecile . . ." she muttered, beginning back toward the Command Center. "Come on--they're waiting for us."
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Post by Konuju on Nov 9, 2020 18:00:41 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks - Village Bridge "Oh, Anna would love to have you over," Paul said with a smile. "The house has been pretty quiet ever since Ellen left. I'll let her know you're coming, and we can stop by a clothing store on our way back from the infirmary. Speaking of which--" The blacksmith pointed at a small, rustic building straight ahead. "We're almost there."
IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows - Command Center, Vertrag The moment Hayes opened the door to the Command Center, Ellen ran forward and threw her arms around Sonja. "It's so good to see you again!" she cried. "You too," she added with a smile at Ford and Vertrag. "Are the others on their way?"
Shannon hung back in a corner of the room, feeling very much like she didn't belong. Wasn't this the group Ryan had been trying to stop? Evan and Jenny seemed to be at odds with Hayes, but she couldn't tell if that animosity extended to Ford. Ellen didn't seem to mind, but then again that girl seemed to be friends with everybody. She glanced up at Ryan's Tyranitar, who seemed on edge, as if preparing for a fight. "Settle down," she said softly, placing a hand on the giant lizard. "This is a strange situation, but let's not go burning bridges before we know the full story."
Tyranitar gave her a skeptical look, but nevertheless relaxed as he observed the interactions between Ford and his Children.
IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan/Jayron Aaron/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke/Adam Shaw – Orange Islands In contrast to the previous island, this one was encircled by steep cliffs. Only a narrow passageway, nearly overlooked, offered them safe passage past the sharp rocks into a small grotto. Colleen, Jayron, and Lucario immediately picked up on the presence of human auras. Ryan hurriedly followed the aura wielders' lead, brimming with anticipation.
"I almost feel sorry for the kid," Adam chuckled. "It's going to be a crushing disappointment if it turns out these auras aren't his parents."
"You really have no sympathy, do you?" Madison rolled her eyes as she trudged ahead through the underbrush.
"Just being realistic!" Adam called out. "The world's a harsh place, Mads. You think the universe has any sympathy for us?"
"If the universe had any sympathy at all, you wouldn't be in it," Dack said in a warning voice. "And don't call her Mads."
Adam merely laughed. "Who are you, her knight in shining armor? Here to slay the big, bad Adam?"
"Don't tempt me."
"I'd love to see you tr—AAUGH!" An azure blur dropped from a tree directly onto Adam. Man and beast both cried out as they rolled into the underbrush. Dack and Luke looked at each other, neither wanting to be the first to help Adam.
An aura sphere quickly flew into the bushes as Jayron came running towards them. Adam rolled back out into the open, struggling against a lean yet powerful Swampert. The Pokémon bellowed as it summoned an orb of water into its hand.
"Zuzu! That's enough!" A harsh voice called out and the Swampert immediately backed off. The group turned to see a man standing in the undergrowth. He wore a tattered and dirty knitted cap on his head and a scratched up pair of glasses. A thick beard grew on his face, tangled and unkempt. His clothes were in no better condition than his hat and he carried a large walking stick which he now pointed at the group. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Ryan took a step forward, eliciting a low growl from the Swampert. "Brendan Ruby?"
The man's eyes narrowed. "Who's asking?"
"My name is—"
"Ryan?!" A woman stepped through the trees. The two locked eyes. For a moment time stood still. Madison called out a warning but it fell on deaf ears. Ryan ran towards his mother and pulled her into his arms. Her body was frailer than he remembered; her time in the Orange Islands had evidently not been an easy one. "Ryan, is that really you?" She openly wept in his arms.
It was a strange reversal of roles. So many times in the past his mother had been the one to comfort him. But now it was Ryan's turn to hold his mom close and assure her that everything was going to be alright. "Yes, Mom. It's me. You're safe now. We're going to bring you home."
Ruby and his Swampert looked dumbfounded at the exchange. "That's your son, Rebecca?" He couldn't help but laugh. "All this time you were worried about him, and here he shows up to rescue us."
Ryan's mother lifted her head for a moment. "Brendan, go fetch Jeffery. Tell him his son is here."
Before Ruby could turn to leave, Jayron stepped forward. "Brendan Ruby, my name is Jayron Aaron. I'm an executive at Team Liberty. We're here to bring you back to the Alamo."
The man pulled out a Pokéball and spoke to it in a soft voice. "Nana, you travel through the woods the fastest. Go find our friends and bring them here." The capsule opened, revealing a sleek Mightyena. The dark-type barked once and then ran off into the woods. Satisfied with his Pokémon's work, Ruby took his walking stick and hobbled over to the group. He offered a hand to Adam, who still lay on the ground. "Sorry about earlier. Zuzu's normally very relaxed, but our time in these islands has set everyone on edge."
"Is your leg okay, sir?" Luke asked.
"Did that Hydreigon attack you?" Madison added.
"What happened?" Adam asked.
Ruby held up a hand. "One question at a time. I guess Team Liberty reported me missing for some time now. I suppose I should start at the beginning . . ."
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Post by Parugi on Nov 12, 2020 20:30:36 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Streets, Village Bridge:
The sight of the approaching infirmary felt much the same way as Kyle might have felt if he were finding water in the desert. The aches and pains in his body felt heavier than ever, but they were mitigated at least by the knowledge that he could get patched up soon. His vision being slightly tunneled, he didn't realize that there was someone hurrying in the opposite direction of his group until too late. The impact wasn't severe--they merely bumped opposing shoulders, which fortunately was not the more-injured of Kyle's--but it was enough to make both stumble slightly on the path, pausing briefly.
"Sorry about that," Kyle started to say. He'd barely begun speaking though when the man waved him off, turning and continuing on his hurried way. His face was covered slightly by the collar of his brown coat and the brim of his flat cap, which he had angled downward, but in the brief moment before he turned, Kyle caught a glimpse of the man's dark red eyes. He couldn't say that he recognized those eyes, but there was something strangely familiar about them. He stared after the man, watching as he vanished into the crowded street.
"Are you okay, Mr. Kyle?" Levi asked, tugging slightly on Kyle's sleeve.
"Y-Yeah." The Liberty Agent tore his eyes away from the man and turned back toward Paul and the others. He rubbed his shoulder. "Just tired, that's all."
The infirmary took a bit of time to get through. As expected, they had had a steady influx of people on the run from the Instances spreading in Black City, so they had plenty of refugees to tend to. While unfortunate, it did have the benefit of avoiding a number of questions once Kyle, Levi, and Will got a chance to see someone--the last thing Kyle wanted was to give any indication that two children of Shadow Admins had gotten lost in Unova. While their Pokémon were brought back to be healed, the boys were all seen to--their bruises and cuts tended, Will's ankle re-splinted (and with better materials), and the numerous burns on Kyle's back treated.
Before long, the three had regrouped with Paul in the lobby. All still looked as exhausted as they had when they arrived, but they looked a little less ragged overall.
"Thanks for waiting," Kyle said as Paul handed him his bag. "To the store and then to home?"
IC - Madison Hayes/John Ford/Sonja Baron/Vertrag - Vertrag:
"It's good to see you, too!" Sonja said, squeezing Ellen tightly in a hug. "The others are . . . I don't know where to start. They're all okay as far as we know, but we don't know where they all are. Ethan just went out to meet up with Skye." She looked over Ellen's shoulder at Evan, Jenny, and Shannon. "And you guys! It's been--" Her smile faltered. "Wait--Jenny, what happened to you? Where've you all been the last few months?"
IC - Skye Hall/Gavin Braner/Ethan Worth - Conference Center, The Alamo:
"WELL IF IT AIN'T MY BEST BUDS!"
Lucia, Gavin, and Skye came to an abrupt halt from the shout behind them, as did many of the people around them. Just as they turned toward the source of the noise, they felt a pair of arms wrap around their shoulders and pull them all into a big old group hug. It was hard to say that Ethan wasn't affectionate, because that would certainly be a lie, but this was an entirely new level even for him.
"Ethan," Gavin groaned, struggling to breathe. "We're happy to see you, too. Please let go."
"Right, right, right right right." Ethan released them. "You guys, straight-up, had me so worried!"
"What?" Gavin said.
"I think he's talking about those suits," Skye said. "How do you know about them, though?"
"Doesn't matter!" Ethan said. "What matters is that I'm not letting you out of my sight as long as those things could still possibly attack!" He rubbed the two's heads. "Listen--you three--after this meeting is over, I have other people we need to meet with. Kay? There's more going on than we know. Yeah?"
"'Other people'?" Gavin repeated. "Who--"
"OTHER. PEOPLE. GAVIN." Ethan gave him a square, close-to-deathly stare. He looked around, lowering his voice. "I'll explain later around non-prying eyes and ears. Okay?"
"Fine, jeez," Gavin said. "Fucking maniac." He shook his head. "Alright, well, let's get going--sounds like this is a big announcement."
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Post by Parugi on Nov 29, 2020 17:27:09 GMT -8
IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Vertrag/Sonja Baron - Command Center, Vertrag:As the group held their conversations, Vertrag's eyes suddenly shifted. A screen materialized nearby, connected to the nearby cameras of the Alamo, as did several others providing access to similar scenes at the major Rocket bases. The scene laid out before them was a view of the Alamo's conference center, where hundreds of Liberty agents had assembled in the seats around the central stage. Liberty Leader Blackskull was ascending the steps just then. If I may interrupt, the AI said, drawing all eyes toward the broadcast. It appears that something is happening.IC - Blackskull - Conference Center, The Alamo:"All Agents, please direct your attention forward." The murmurings of the crowd came to an abrupt halt as the announcement boomed through the auditorium speakers. All eyes and ears turned toward the central stage where Blackskull had appeared, ascending the short set of steps and approaching the podium. The Liberty Leader looked tired, more worn out than many in attendance had ever seen him. Still, he held himself tall, face set with a look of determination that reminded a number of Team Liberty's veteran agents of Goldhawk. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, voice booming through the microphone in front of him. "As of today, we are exactly three months out from the first appearance of Missing Zero into our world. It has taken time and effort, but with the resurgence of Pokémon abilities and the research we have been able to conduct on Missing Zero and its Instances in that time, and in the face of its continued spread throughout the world, the leaders of Team Liberty, Team Rocket, and our allied organizations have decided unanimously on the full extent of our operations going forward. To begin with, we feel it is imperative to inform you of where things currently stand." Blackskull clicked a button on the small remote in his hand, bringing up a world map on the massive wall behind him. A string of panicked gasps and whispers ran through the crowd. "It's hit all of the major regions!"
"Why is it branching like that!?"
"No way, it's even gotten to Unova . . ."Blackskull took a breath, allowing the overseers among the audience time to get everyone back under control. Once they had, he continued. "As you can see, Missing Zero has not been idle in the time since it appeared," he said. "Rather than expanding at a consistent rate as we expected it to, it appears to have prioritized its spread, enabling it to branch out toward specific areas of the world. As of yet, we have had no means of determining its criteria for where it targeted, but we have come up with some theories." He clicked the same button again. The map disappeared, replaced now with several images of what appeared to be comets--bright lights racing through the sky. Among these images were pictures of a similar light jettisoning from Missing Zero's form shortly after the Battle of One Island. All were fuzzy and full of static, as if the very act of pointing a camera at these things diminished the equipment. "Shortly after the evacuation of One and Three Islands was complete, these lights emerged from Missing Zero's form, vanishing completely from our trace maps before long. The images in front of you are pictures taken from the ground by Agents in the vicinity when the lights reappeared--and shortly after, crash landed." Another click. Now there was a wide-shot of the destroyed Black City, Unova, alongside similar images from Sinnoh and Kalos. "Each time one of these lights has made landfall, it has been followed immediately by the sudden appearance of Instances--well away from any area where Missing Zero's body has made landfall itself. We believe these objects, whatever they may be, to be beacons of some sort, allowing Missing Zero to orient itself and send out its seeker tendrils toward its specific targets. Similar lights have appeared in Orre, the Orange islands, and other, smaller regions; however, these as a whole have been reported to affect much smaller areas, suggesting the possibility that they are fragments of the larger objects carried to the main regions. Furthermore, it would appear that these objects--whatever they are--act as vessels for the primary faces of our enemy." Another click. An image of the Samurai Instance from One Island appeared, caught in the midst of combat with the Power Suits that it had intercepted. Blackskull paused for a moment as he looked back at this image, though he quickly regained his composure and turned back to the audience. "This Instance, designated 'Samurloch,' first materialized during the Evacuation of One Island. At the time it was encountered, one of Team Rocket's assisting Agents reported possible connections between this Instance and the Sin Trainer known as Wrath, whom some of you may know from his attack on Goldenrod City back in July. It was thought to have been destroyed by the combined efforts of our Agents on the ground at One Island. However, it materialized again in Johto not too long ago--shortly after a sighting of one of these strange lights, and shortly after Instances were reported present just south of Goldenrod City." Another click, this time to a poorly-captured image of the samurai in the middle of a burning forest. In the distance, a similar Instance, this one clad in knightly armor, stood shadowed against the trees. "In addition to Wrath, we have reports of a first-hand encounter suggesting that the Sin Trainer Gluttony has reappeared--" The picture changed to a mountainous view, where a large, wendigo-like creature stood alongside a monstrous dragon-like Instance. "--as well as the Sin Trainer Pride." Now the picture changed to an ominous image of a strange, puppet-like creature floating just above the surface of a lake, leering blankly at the camera. "All of this is to say that there appears to be some connection between these lights and the Sins. With the plausible reappearance of three of them, it is not hard to believe that all seven have returned. And with that in mind, it is the joint opinion of our allied forces that these Sins and the means by which they have returned may possess the key to stopping Missing Zero--or, at the very least, stalling its spread." Blackskull paused, eyes scanning across the crowd before him. "Agents, this is where you come in. As of this moment, we are reinstating Operation RALLY." The crowd erupted into confused mutters again. "The reason for this is simple. The areas around those landing zones that we know of have become rife with Instances--too many for us, even in a coordinated assault, to access on our own, let alone while we have multiple fronts to defend against the main body. The Legendary Pokémon of each region are our best bet for emerging victorious from this crisis." "So why not call them back!?" someone shouted. "We already went through the trouble of forging alliances with them!" "It's not that simple," Blackskull said. "Missing Zero's presence has thrown something out of balance--that much was obvious from its first appearance. We have had multiple reports of Legendary Pokémon falling into panicked frenzies the closer that they get to Missing Zero and these Special Instances, including reports from encounters with the Sins trainers before all of this began. On the other hand, we also have firsthand knowledge of cases where these frenzies were circumvented, allowing the Legendary Pokémon involved to engage in combat unimpeded. All of us acknowledge the limits of the plan, and the possibility of failure; however, if we have even the slightest possibility of utilizing the designated defenders of this world against an enemy like this, we must take that chance." The murmurings continued, this time uninterrupted by the overseers. Soon enough, the room had fallen silent again. Blackskull gripped his fingers tightly against the pedestal, looking out at the many faces in front of him. The grim sense of inevitability in the air was palpable. "This operation will be the largest one conducted in Team Liberty's history," he said. "In no small part thanks to the cooperation between us and our allies. So listen closely." He pressed the button on his remote again. A list appeared behind him. Kanto: Shadow Admin Sleight, Chapel Johto: Shadow Admin Joker, Abyss Hoenn: Liberty Leader Silvermind, Battle Frontier Sinnoh: Shadow Admin Bounty, Divide Unova: Sages Gorm, Rood, and Zinzolin, Driftveil City Kalos: Acting President Eloi Masson, Lumiose Palace Alola: Kahuna Council and Aether President Lusamine, Aether Foundation Galar: Chairman Rose, Hammerlocke Castle "Each region possesses its own unique array of Legendary Pokémon and methods of reaching them. Many of those that we had previously established communications with, such as Rayquaza, have gone into hiding in recent months. Because of these unique circumstances, operations in each region will be headed by a specific representative at a designated facility. The vast, vast majority of you will be headed to each region to reinforce the primary Missing Zero combat zones; the rest will be entrusted with the recruitment and reactivation of each Legendary Pokémon. A small force will remain on Four Island to maintain our defensive position against Missing Zero in the event that it changes course toward us. Once the recruitment force has activated that region's defenses, they will begin the operation to hunt down that region's Sin at the source." He looked at the crowd again. "That's it for now, Agents. Get your assignments and get going."
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Post by Konuju on Dec 11, 2020 11:14:07 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks - Village Bridge"Well, you three look better already." Paul gave a hearty smile as he led the way out of the infirmary. "Come on, there's a clothing shop on the way home. It's not as big as the department stores you're probably used to, and you won't find any designer brands, but you won't find softer clothes anywhere else." IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows - Command Center, VertragEllen watched the broadcast with wide eyes, a grim expression on her face. "This sounds serious," she said. "But at least everyone's on the same page this time." The young girl turned to Ford. "This won't be like last time," she assured him. "We don't have to do this on our own anymore. We've got the whole world backing us up now." "I don't understand you, Ellen." Shannon shook her head. "You lost last time, right? You tried to stop the Missing Zero from coming to this world, and you failed in the worst possible way. How can you still be so full of hope?" It wasn't easy, Symbio offered. You should have seen her a few months ago.Ellen smiled. "I joined Ford because I wanted to end this war. And now, in a roundabout way, it looks like it's finally over. The people are united in a common cause. Team Rocket and Team Liberty are no longer at each other's throats. And when everyone fights alongside each other instead of against each other, we can achieve our goals." "I don't know if it's that simple . . ." Shannon bit her tongue to keep from saying anything more. She simply looked at the screen, her thoughts on Ryan Hikari. Would he have agreed with Ellen's resolve? IC: Chrono - Sootopolis CityNavigating the streets of the city was vastly different from the Shadow Suit factory. At least in the factory, Chrono had been tucked away in the air ducts. Out in the open, one wrong move would mean discovery. That being said, two things acted in Chrono's favor. The first was that city streets were his element. He had grown up on the streets of Unova, and while he was less familiar with Sootopolis, most cities were constructed in a similar fashion. The wealthy gathered in the center, while the less fortunate were pushed back to the outskirts. There was often a clear divide, marked by the state of the streets themselves. Clean streets meant better food but stricter policing. Dirtier streets were easier to navigate unnoticed, but the area was less bountiful. The second thing that helped Chrono get through Sootopolis was that no one batted an eye at a stray Purrloin. Inside the factory he would have immediately raised suspicion, but now he was just another stray. And the Déoza soldiers were more concerned with lurking humans than stray cats. The journey to Kiri's house was largely uneventful. The few times he did catch a soldier's eye, he scampered off before they could think twice. As he moved further away from the factory, the soldiers became less plentiful, but their presence still served as a reminder that the city was not what it once was. Chrono was only a few blocks away from his destination when a ruffle of feathers caught his eye. A lone Spearow was pecking at the cobblestones, likely scouring for worms. It didn't notice Chrono at all. His tail flicked in anticipation. After a rough day, he needed an easy target to let lose on. He'd held back against the factory workers, but the Purrloin's bloodlust could be contained no longer. Slowly, stealthily, he drew closer to his target. The Spearow was so busy digging for worms that it paid no heed to the silently approaching Purrloin. Relishing this moment, Chrono adjusted his trajectory, then pounced. A loud squawk filled the air, followed by a shriek. The Spearow jabbed its sharp beak into Chrono's fur, but his sharp claws held tight to his prey. Just when he was sure of his success, an outstretched hand flew out of nowhere and sent Chrono sprawling across the cobblestones. Scampering to his feet, the Purrloin hissed and spat at the new arrival. It was a small, thin girl. She looked to be around Ellen's age, but the rage on her face was unlike anything he'd ever seen from Ellen. That moment of surprise made Chrono hesitate long enough for the girl to run up to him and slap him again. "Get away, you filthy cat! You leave us alone! We didn't do nothing to you!" Now Chrono was mad. On top of everything else he'd endured that day, he'd failed to capture a simple Spearow and now he was getting assaulted by a little girl. With a harsh yowl, he swiped his claws across the girl's face and scampered away. He would have ran off into the alley if he hadn't heard a familiar voice cry out. "What's going on here? Oh my gosh, Alaina! What happened! Are you alright?!" Chrono balked at the sight before him. The woman kneeling next to the girl that had just attacked him was none other than Kiri, the very woman he'd been searching for. IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan/Jayron Aaron/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke/Adam Shaw/Brendan Ruby/Christopher Dunkeld/Jeffery Sanders/Rebecca Sanders – Island, Orange Islands"I was on assignment for Team Liberty." The group sat in a large circle, all eyes trained on Brendan Ruby. He had led the group to a small makeshift camp, similar to the one Ryan and Colleen had found on the previous island. It was here that Ruby paused, eyeing his audience carefully. "I don't know if I can disclose the details of that assignment here." "We're aware of your assignment," Dack said. "You were looking into Ace's Shadow Pokémon project, weren't you?" Ruby frowned. "You're Rocket?" "He's a friend," Ryan assured him. "A lot's changed in the world since you went missing." "Then I suppose I'll let you share your story next," Ruby said. "Anyway, you're correct: I went undercover to investigate allegations that Shadow Admin Ace was creating Shadow Pokémon. Those allegations were true, by the way. Ace had gone through hundreds of experiments under something called Project DUSK to perfect her formula." "Project DUSK?" Dack repeated. "I've never heard of such a thing." "It was kept off the books," Ruby explained. "Very few knew of its existence, even fewer knew the finer details. The results of the experiments varied but many of her subjects became very hostile. She had trouble containing them all. And so when one of the Rocket agents started to suspect me, I created a distraction by setting one such subject loose: Subject 635 or some such number. It was a Shadow Hydreigon." The group exchanged a look, while Adam held back a smirk. Ruby didn't seem to notice the reaction. "I don't know what they did to that poor Pokémon, but it was gripped in an uncontrollable rage. It created a distraction alright; it must have destroyed half the facility before chasing after me. I escaped on Zuzu, but that thing was persistent. I made the mistake of drifting too close to Ever Grande City and the Hydreigon started attacking the townspeople. The League had been disassembled in the war, and due to the classified nature of my assignment I couldn't exactly ask for help in subduing a Shadow Pokémon. "Not to mention, some members of Project DUSK had followed me. Or followed the destructive trail of the Hydreigon. Either way, these grunts kept tailing me. Would've been very messy if they'd found out I was with Liberty. I had to lose them and lure the Hydreigon away from civilization. That brought me to the Orange Islands. I'd hoped to make it all the way back to The Alamo where I knew I could find someone to help me. But . . . that didn't exactly go as planned." Two men suddenly crashed through the underbrush. "Ryan?" The older of the two ran towards them. His balding head glistened in the sunlight and his rough beard held flecks of gray. Ryan stood up and embraced his father. "So we've found your mom and dad," Luke said, jabbing a thumb towards Rebecca and the new arrival. "But who's this other guy?" He looked at the younger man that had arrived with Mr. Sanders. "And how does this all fit into Ruby's story?" "I'm Christopher Dunkeld," the younger man said, taking a seat next to Ruby. "Jeffrey and Rebecca are longtime friends of mine." "Dunkeld . . ." Adam chewed his lip. "You're the one who broke the Sanders out of prison, right?" The man laughed. "It would seem my reputation precedes me. After Ruby went MIA, I was tasked with trying to find out where he'd disappeared to. It took a while, but after countless dead ends I finally found one piece of evidence in the outskirts of Ever Grande City: his Pokédex." Ryan felt his heart race as he reached into his pocket to pull out the device he'd found the day Team Rocket had chased him out of his home. Ruby's eyes widened. "Is that mine? I thought Dunkeld had lost it. How'd you get it?" "Oddly enough, I found it in my dad's backpack." Ryan looked over at his father. "The same day he and my mom were arrested for supporting Team Liberty. Liberty doesn't have any record of your support; so why did you have it?" Dunkeld raised a hand. "I can explain. Rocket seemed to take notice of my investigation. They kept tailing me ever since I left Ever Grande. That Pokédex contains Ruby's findings from Project DUSK. I couldn't risk it falling into the wrong hands, so I tried to get rid of it by handing it off to someone Team Rocket would never suspect." He nodded toward Ryan’s father. "That was my good friend, Jeffery Sanders." Ryan stared at the Liberty agent. "So you framed my parents." This caught Dunkeld off guard. "I wouldn't say framed--" "You got them arrested so you could go free!" Ryan yelled. "I had no intention of getting your parents arrested!" Dunkeld shot back. "I was devastated when I found out what had happened. So much so that I immediately tried to break them out!" Ryan scoffed and waved his Pokédex in front of Dunkeld's face. "Was that out of concern for my parents, or concern for this?" "Ryan," Rebecca said gently. "Our arrest is Christopher's biggest regret." "Did you know?" Ryan asked in a low voice. He looked from his mother to his father. "Did you know you were protecting Liberty information?" A long silence ensued. "We had no idea Christopher had placed the Pokédex in my backpack," Jeffery said. Dunkeld quickly spoke to defend himself. "Look, I know this sounds bad, but I didn't think Rocket would know I'd slipped the Pokédex into Jeffrey's backpack. They must've seen that and arrested him to try and get their hands on the information Ruby stole." "It doesn't matter," Colleen spoke up, giving Ryan a warning glance. "What's done is done. Now do you want to hear the rest of their story or not?" Ryan sighed. "So what happened after you broke my parents out? Why didn't you let them go home or go straight to the Alamo?" "They were fugitives," Dunkeld explained. "They were still wanted by Team Rocket, so they couldn't go back to Fortree. I would have brought them straight to the Alamo, but those Ancient Darkrai were everywhere. I decided to bring them on my search for Ruby. It was better than leaving them in the hands of the Darkrai." Ryan bit his tongue as the Liberty agent continued. "It took a while but we eventually tracked Ruby to the Orange Islands. But when we found him . . ." Ruby took a deep breath. "Perhaps I should tell the rest of the story," he said in a low voice. "One of the islands around here is inhabited by a bunch of mushroom Pokémon. Morelull and its evolution, Shiinotic. Apparently this particular group likes to hypnotize and enslave anyone who trespasses on their territory. Me, my Pokémon, and that blasted Hydreigon all fell victim to their power." "We managed to find Ruby," Rebecca said. "Only to find the Shiinotic, too. They got us just as they got Ruby." "We have no idea how long we were stuck on that island," Jeffrey said. "But one day, the Shiinotic's power just stopped working. It was like some sort of EMP for Pokémon. None of our Pokémon's powers worked, either. Same with all the wild Pokémon on the island." The group exchanged a glance. "It wasn't just the island," Jayron said softly. "Pokémon powers went out around the world." "Well, whatever it was, it saved us," Ruby continued. "Us and that Hydreigon. Its powers may have been gone, but it was still a Shadow Pokémon. And it was livid at the Morelull and Shiinotic. Thankfully that kept it from attacking us while we built ourselves a shelter." "We knew we had to get off the island," Dunkeld said. "If powers came back while we were still there, we'd be back at square one, stuck under the Shiinotic's hypnotism. So between Ruby's Swampert and my Flygon, we managed to locate this island, about a day's journey away. After that we built ourselves a raft, and here we are." "We've been trying to find another nearby island," Jeffrey said with a heavy sigh. "But our priorities have been finding food and shelter. And our Pokémon are all weak from being hypnotized for so long." "Well you won't have to worry about that much longer," Dack said. "We're here to rescue you and bring you home." *** It didn't take long to pack up their belongings. Neither Ruby, Dunkeld, nor the Sanders had brought many valuables with them, and there was plenty of room for them on the boat. By the time they were ready to set sail, Ryan hadn't even fully processed the fact that they had found his parents and were bringing them home. He did, however, manage to speak to Brendan Ruby one on one once they were below deck. "I believe this belongs to you." With a heavy heart, he handed over the Pokédex. This device had been with him his entire time at Team Liberty. The sole reminder he'd had of his parents. It had helped him identify many a Pokémon, but more than that it had become a source of comfort. He knew Ruby was the rightful owner, but it still felt strange to give up such a monumental talisman. Ruby took the device with a grin. "Thanks for keeping it safe for me, kid. Looks like you've upgraded it, too. I see Pokémon from Unova, Kalos . . . and some I don't even recognize." Ryan glanced over the trainer's shoulder to see Liberty's database of the Missing Zero Instances. "Oh, those aren't--" "Ryan, I've been dying to talk with you." Rebecca came up from behind and pulled Ryan into a big hug. "With everything going on, we never got a chance to hear what you've been up to. You seem so much more mature now." Ryan felt his face burn red. "Mom, can it wait until we're out at sea? I promise I'll tell you and Dad everything, but I'd like it to be just the three of us." "Hey, guys?" Dack ran up to the group. "Sorry to interrupt the family reunion, but a fog bank just appeared on the horizon. Jayron's afraid it could be--" A deafening energy blast ripped through the air. Ryan and Dack exchanged a grim look before racing above deck. The blast had left a long crater in the beach, extending all the way to the forest. Those trees caught in the path that weren't completely obliterated had been reduced to charred husks. "What in the world . . . ?" Ruby shook his head in disbelief as his Pokédex beeped. "Wh-what is that thing?!" Ryan's mother pointed toward the sea. Off in the distance was the ghost ship from Moro Island. Its shark-like face seemed to glare at the group. If it was possible for a mindless Instance to feel hatred, this one certainly seemed to. "It says it's a Sharkruise." Ruby read the information off his Pokédex. "A Water-Steel-Type created from the absorption of boats and ships. It says here it's a recon-and-attack unit, capable of putting on a convincing facade of being a simple ship before rapidly closing in and attacking. It appears to act as a transport, carrying 'Instances' of all Types." The Hoenn trainer looked up at the approaching ghost ship. "What the actual hell?" "It's a long story," Ryan said, pulling a Pokéball from his belt. "For now, let's just say those Ancient Darkrai were small fries compared to this. Samurott, do you think you can delay that thing while we get this boat out to sea?" "You don't seriously think we can outrun that thing," Dack said. "Out in the open waters we're in its natural element." "Yes, and on land we'll be surrounded by Instances with no chance to escape," Ryan argued. "Remember Moro Island?" "Sanders is right," Jayron called from the helm of the ship. "If we stay here we're as good as dead." "But you saw how fast it was last time!" Madison cried, rushing to Dack's side. "If it catches us out in the ocean, it'll tear our boat to shreds!" "Then it looks like there's only one option left," Adam said with a savage grin. He gripped the Shadow Hydreigon's Pokéball in his hand as he leered out at their enemy. "We stay and fight."
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Post by Konuju on Jan 11, 2021 18:00:37 GMT -8
IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan/Jayron Aaron/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke/Adam Shaw/Brendan Ruby/Christopher Dunkeld/Jeffery Sanders/Rebecca Sanders – Island, Orange Islands"You said Water- and Steel-Type?" Dack pulled out a Pokéball. His Luxray appeared on the deck of the ship. "We'll blast our way through." The thunder cat narrowed his eyes at the enemy ship and sent a bolt of lightning out across the ocean. Before the attack could even reach the Sharkruise, a Driprown rose out of the waves and arced toward the lightning. Dack swore as the blast struck the Water-Type Instance, completely obliterating it. "What the hell was that?" Ruby asked. "Some sort of Alolan Milotic?" "Trust me, an Alolan Milotic would be much easier to deal with," Jayron said. "The Missing Zero's defending itself, like a horde of Combee defending their Vespiquen. The Sharkruise is a more valuable target, especially if it's holding all those other Instances." "Is it like that samurai from One Island?" Madison asked, looking fearfully out at the ghost ship. "I don't know," the executive admitted. "But regardless, we don't have to defeat every single Instance. If we take out the ship, we should be able to our way through the Driprown and Pollucant." "We're gonna have to get a lot closer, then," Luke said. "Otherwise it'll keep throwing lesser Instances at our attacks." "That thing will destroy us before we can get close enough to attack," Ryan muttered. " We don't have to get close enough." Adam pressed the release on his Pokéball. "We just need our Pokémon to. Let's see if this Shadow Pokémon is really worth all that hype." "No!" Dunkeld's eyes grew wide. "Someone stop him!" But the Hydreigon had already emerged in a cloud of dark purple smoke. The three-headed dragon let out a mighty roar and began charging up an attack. "You fool!" Ruby cried. "That Pokémon cannot be controlled!" Adam's face paled as he watched the Hydreigon take aim at their boat. "Hydreigon, stop!" he commanded in vain. "The enemy's that way!" The Shadow Pokémon ignored its so-called Trainer and would have proceeded to blast the ship to pieces if the Sharkruise hadn't sent a Barrage its way. Instead, the Hydreigon jerked its heads towards the Instance and fired a Dragon Pulse at it. The attack went about as well as Dack's Luxray's: another Driprown rose from the waters, absorbing the hit and sacrificing itself. Roaring in frustration, Hydreigon soared through the skies towards the Sharkruise. "S-see?" Adam stammered. "I just had to point it in the right direction." It was Rebecca Sanders who spoke up, glaring at Adam in anger. "We're lucky that thing caught the Hydreigon's attention. You could have killed us all. If we're going to get through this, we need to think, not act rashly." "We can't always waste time thinking," Adam said shortly. "In case you haven't noticed, Hydreigon isn't the only one currently occupied." "Hydreigon has the Sharkruise's attention," Jayron said. "We can all reprimand Adam for his actions later. Right now we need to get out into open waters. And as much as I hate to admit it, he does have a point about attacking up close. Send out any flying types to assist Hydreigon, but be careful. That Shadow Pokémon is not our ally." The sound of several Pokéballs opening at once echoed across the boat. Ryan's Togekiss took to the skies next to Dack's Swellow and Madison's Froslass. Dunkeld let loose a haggard-looking Flygon while Jayron's Metagross hovered over the waves. Colleen thought for a moment before sending out two Pokémon. Her golden Gyarados danced through the air to catch up to her teammates. On the Atrocious Pokémon's head, a small Elgyem shuddered in fear. "You'll be alright, Elly," the girl assured the psychic-type. "Just stay on Skulkraken's head and attack from a distance. If anything bad happens, you can Teleport back here." As the small army of Pokémon headed off in one direction, Jayron steered the boat in the opposite direction. The boat's other occupants watched as their Pokémon approached the Sharkruise. Hydreigon got there first. The Shadow Pokémon's devilish grin could be seen all the way from the boat as it fired a Dark Pulse at the ghost ship. Togie, Elly, and Metagross reached out with their psychic abilities to attack from afar, but their powers didn't do much against the Sharkruise's sturdy, iron body. "Now, Flygon!" Dunkeld shouted. "Hit it with all you've got!" The Flygon spread out its wings, slowing its flight as it let out a harrowing cry. The clouds began to glow red as a Draco Meteor rained down on the Instance. The attack did substantial damage, but as soon as it was over hundreds of smaller Instances swarmed onto the deck of the ghost ship. Ryan and the others couldn't make out all of them, but some appeared to be attacking the approaching Pokémon while others worked on healing the damage to Sharkruise. "That’s just not fair!" Luke cried. "How are we supposed to fight a ghost ship shark that can heal itself?" "We've got a few tricks of our own," Colleen said with a grin. Her Gyarados descended from the clouds, fangs bared. The golden serpent chomped down on the edge of the ship and then arced back up into the sky as ice began to spread over a small portion of the ship, freezing the surrounding Instances. An Icy Wind from Anzu blew over another section of the ship. Dack's Swellow followed up with a Brave Bird against some of the Instances that had escaped the ice attacks. Now it was the Sharkruise's turn to grin, a chilling sight for all watching. With astonishing speed the Instance thrashed about in a Brutal Swing, landing a blow on each of its opponents and breaking the ice that had formed on its deck and masts. The Hydreigon roared and beat its wings to gain altitude for another attack. The Sharkruise narrowed its eyes and wrapped an Anchor Shot around the Shadow Pokémon, trapping it. Unable to escape, the Hydreigon flew straight into its opponent, blasting it with a point blank Hyper Beam. The blast struck the ghost ship head on, burning away the rotting wood on one side of its face and revealing a red, gelatinous mass underneath. The Sharkruise let out a monstrous, bloodcurdling roar as it retracted its anchor, pulling the Hydreigon closer and closer. The red mass on the side of its face seemed to pulse in anticipation while the Shadow Pokémon struggled to escape. And then, with the force of a Galarian Stunfisk, the Sharkruise's jaws snapped shut around the Hydreigon, tearing into its flesh with ease. Dack swore loudly. "Our Pokémon need to retreat," he said as the waters around the Instance turned red. "We're not far enough away yet," Jayron warned. "If we call our Pokémon back here they'll bring the Instances straight to us." Colleen yelped as Elly appeared in her arms. Frightened tears welled up in the Elgyem's eyes as she hugged her Trainer. "At least then we'd be able to attack with all our Pokémon, not just the ones that can fly," Luke offered. "Although to be honest I don't like our chances." Adam stood dumbfounded as he watched the Sharkruise devour what remained of the Shadow Hydreigon. "There has to be another way . . ." he muttered. "This is usually the time someone gets a new Mega Evolution to save the day," Ryan said. He looked to Jayron and Colleen. "Do you think Kammy and Lucario have enough power to stand up to that thing?" "I’m sorry," Ruby interjected. "But Mega Evolution?" "We'll explain later," several people shouted at once. "The added power won't do us any good if we can't get close," Colleen said as she hugged her Elgyem. "The problem is it's both a shark and a ship – two very durable things. We might be able to focus our attacks on the wound the Hydreigon inflicted . . . but even then I don't know if it would be enough to destroy it." "We have to try," Ryan said. "There's only one problem with that plan." Adam pointed across the water. "Those Maniakoll are already healing the wound." "We'll just have to be fast," Colleen said, narrowing her eyes. Adam shook his head and took a deep breath. "I have a better idea. But I need your help." Colleen raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Why me?" she asked with apprehension. "Both sharks and ships have a common weak point: their insides. If we can get someone on board the ship, they can destroy it from within." The Liberty agent pointed not at Colleen but at the Pokémon in her arms. "I just need your Elgyem to teleport me there. She's already been in the action so it should be easy for her to return." "Hold up!" Dack cried. "Who decided you should be the one to play the hero? You do realize you'd be walking into a death trap. That ship is swarming with Instances. Remember Moro Island?" Adam laughed dryly. "Wow, Dack. I didn't know you cared so much. But I can't ask anyone else to do this. My team can plow down those Instances long enough to get to the middle of the ship. Once I'm there . . . well, this Golem I picked up in Alola has a tendency to go boom." "Why are you sacrificing yourself?" Madison asked. "There has to be another way." "Not without that thing getting to more of us," Adam said grimly. "And don't even think about suggesting we send Golem in there by himself. He needs the rest of my team to hold off the other Instances, and the rest of my team needs me to command them." "Well whatever you're doing, you'd better do it fast," Luke warned. The Sharkruise had lashed out at their Pokémon with another Brutal Swing and was making its way toward their small boat. "We're running out of time." Adam knelt next to Elly. "Can you take me back there?" he asked in a shaking voice. The Elgyem looked up at Colleen, who hesitantly nodded. "Oh, and Dack," Adam said as he and Elly became enveloped in a purple light. "You've got it pretty good. Try not to end up bitter like me, and don't take it for granted." Before Dack could respond, both Adam and Elly vanished from sight. *** On the deck of the Sharkruise, the air crackled. Adam appeared among the hundreds of Instances that lurked on the massive ship. The Liberty agent cursed. "Any chance you could bring me somewhere a little less crowded, Elly?" He glanced over his shoulder, but the Elgyem was already gone. Shaking his head, he hurled his Pokéballs to the ground. His Pokémon materialized in a circle: Abomasnow, Aggron, Beartic, Gigalith, and an Alolan Sandslash. All five planted themselves between Adam and a horde of Walkorpse and Maniakoll. "Come on!" Adam shouted. "Let's give these monsters a proper greeting!" Beartic lashed out with his giant paws, while Gigalith felled dozens of Instances with a well-aimed Stone Edge. But it was Abomasnow who took command of the battlefield. With a mighty roar, the ice-type began to glow in a rainbow light. His white fur seemed to frizz out and he leaned forward as two massive icicles sprouted out of his back like a Blastoise's cannons. The Mega Evolved Pokémon unleashed a powerful Blizzard, clearing a path through the Instances for Adam to get below deck. "Just my luck," he muttered as he ran past his prized Pokémon. "I finally figure out Mega Evolution right before it all ends. Make it count, Abomasnow! Show those Instances what it looks like when hell freezes over!" Adam ran down a flight of stairs, followed by Sandslash and Aggron. The three stopped in their tracks as they saw the interior of the Sharkruise. Even more Instances were housed below deck, packed together like a swarm of Beedrill in a hive. The walls were a strange mix of wood and flesh, an unsettling reminder that they were inside an Instance. A number of Harpreak took notice of the intruders. There wasn't much room to fly in the cramped quarters, but the winged Instances took to the air and flapped toward them. Sandslash coated the Harpreak in a thin layer of ice before impaling some of the dress Instances with her Metal Claws. While Sandslash took on a majority of the Instances, Aggron plowed his way through the crowd, Adam hastily following in his wake. In order for his plan to work, he had to get to the center of the ship. A rainbow light suddenly enveloped Aggron. Adam watched in awe as the Iron Armor Pokémon grew bulkier, his armor expanding and growing even sturdier than it already was. The Mega Evolved Pokémon roared and stomped his feet, creating an Earthquake that shook the entire Sharkruise, felling several Instances on the spot. Adam froze as he came across a pool of red goop in the middle of the floor. It looked like the main body of the Missing Zero, and it pulsated rhythmically, like shuddered breathing. The Liberty agent watched in horror as a number of sigils appeared on the pool's surface, some red and some brown. From the sigils emerged Instances that seemed perfectly crafted to counter Adam's Pokémon: the fire-type Leopyred and the fighting-type Minotore. Adam ducked around a corner as the Instances set upon his Aggron and Alolan Sandslash. "This must be it," he muttered, fighting back the urge to vomit as he looked back at the writhing pool. "Time to send these creatures back to hell." He gripped one last Pokéball in his hand. "You know what to do," he whispered as he pressed the release. His Alolan Golem materialized before the pool. A number of Fraygrins and Chimerape turned to face the newcomer. Electricity crackled along the Megaton Pokémon's cannon as it charged up energy. The Instances started to close in. With a yell, Adam leapt onto a Chimerape to slow its progression. As if in defiance, a dark sigil appeared on the surface of the pool. Sparks now flew out of the cracks in the Golem's shell. Once more Adam was blinded by a bright light. Only this time it was not the brilliant hue of Mega Evolution, but the sheer power of Explosion. It was the last thing he ever saw. *** The explosion ripped the Sharkruise apart, spewing its contents into the sea. The blast also created a tidal wave that pushed the companions' boat further out to sea. When at last the waters had calmed down, the group looked out on the spot where the Instances had once been. A few Pollucant and Driprown remained, swimming among the floating remains of what must have been hundreds of Instances. There was no sign of Adam or any of his Pokémon. "We should leave," Jayron said. "The sooner we can get back to Four Island, the sooner we can regroup." One by one, the companions turned away from the railing, until only Dack, Madison, and Luke remained. "He was still a jerk," Dack said after a long silence. "Sacrificing himself doesn't suddenly make everything better. And yet, I'm surprised he found it in himself to pull a stunt like that." "We never really knew him," Madison said. "Not since he left Snowpoint to join Team Rocket three years ago. It makes you wonder what drove him to do that." Luke looked over at Dack. "He said something to you before he left: 'Don't take it for granted.'" The blackbelt frowned. "What did he mean by it?" Dack looked out over the sparkling waves. "We may never really know," he said. "Another time, I would have felt cheated of my revenge against Adam. But now, in light of the Missing Zero, such a grudge seems small and petty. We're past the point of taking sides. All of humanity is at war against that thing. We'd do well to remember that, going forward."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 11, 2021 19:45:45 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Streets, Village Bridge:
Indeed, Paul spoke true. The shop in question, much like the other facilities in Village Bridge, was a smaller, quaint space. They were in and out fairly quickly--the boys picked out a couple of sets of basic clothes to replace their torn and shredded attire. Amusingly, though still subdued from fatigue, both Levi and Will seemed rather excited at getting the chance to choose their own clothes; evidently their typical attire was not up for debate in their households. Still, they restrained themselves somewhat, making sure not to choose anything too wild in color or design.
Luckily for Kyle's wallet, while they total cost was not terribly high already, the shop owner took pity on them and provided an additional discount; the Liberty Agent presumed that they had mistaken them for refugees much like the clinic had. It was disheartening to know that this wasn't a particularly unusual situation. Even as they exited the shop, others were entering, looking just as haggard and worn down as they did.
Kyle was mostly silent as they made their way to the Burks residence. It was only when their house came into view that he glanced at Paul. "Are all of those refugees in town from Black City?"
IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Vertrag/Sonja Baron - Command Center, Vertrag:
"As a matter of fact, I believe there is something to Miss Burks's words," Ford said. All eyes turned to him as he shifted his own gaze from the screen down to the console in front of him. "Vertrag, pull what data you have from the engagement on One Island in August."
The AI did so, producing a replica map in front of the Shadowed Man. Ford moved his fingers through it, highlighting areas of note.
"Admittedly, my observances of Missing Zero are limited," he said. "However, if what I believe I saw from One Island is true, then this joint effort may be the most strategically useful gift we have yet received."
"What makes you say that?" Sonja asked.
"While the rate of Instances materialization on One Island increased the longer the battle went on there, the spread of that portion of Missing Zero's main body itself all but slowed to a halt," Ford said. "As a matter of fact it hardly advanced at all until the opposing forces departed and the battle ended. If the primary bodies of the world's largest armies and organizations are intending to engage it head-on at its landing points in each region, that would give their search parties--those people they intend to send after each region's Legendary Pokémon and then the Sins--a much more forgiving timeframe to accomplish their mission." He looked around the room. "More precisely, it gives us the opportunity to complete that mission."
The door to the room opened as Ethan, Skye, and Gavin arrived, panting from their run back to Vertrag. The latter two looked more than a little surprised to see the various faces assembled here, but could not express their shock before Ethan spoke up. "Got 'em," he said happily, pulling the two to his side by their shoulders. "I take it y'all saw that little pep talk from Blackskull?"
"We did," Sonja said, glancing at Ford. "And now we're discussing, what, letting everyone else go on the front lines for us?" She relayed what Ford had said to them. "It seems a little . . . scummy to take the easy job."
"You're free to do as you see fit, Miss Baron," Ford said. "However, I would make the argument that there is a group of trainers amongst Teams Liberty and Rocket that seems to have a particular proclivity toward problem-solving--in this case, finding and retrieving missing Legendaries. Your talents would be wasted on the frontline battlefield."
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Post by minun4 on Jan 14, 2021 17:55:00 GMT -8
IC: Lohe Mahina - Ula’Ula Island, Route 17
Lohe hated this island.
No he didn’t.
Lohe hated everyone on this island.
Still a bit too mean.
Everyone that Lohe hated seemed to live on this island.
Perfect.
Lohe was laying down in a rocky outcropping in the highlands that overlooked Po Town. The sun was still up, so he was sticking to the shade. When night fell, he was expected to head into town. The town where something crashed, and that thing spewed out Instances After the stunt he pulled to get his superiors involved in the war effort, this was clearly their attempt at revenge.
Until then he was trying to get some sleep. But thanks to the obnoxious noise of beat-boxing coming from nearby, that wasn’t happening. Between his superiors inflicting both a suicidal mission and two Team Skull youths upon him, it was a fresh reminder about why he hated being back on Ula’Ula island.
He hadn’t asked either of them their names. To Lohe, their names were Blue and Pink, on account of their hair colors. That had gotten anxious from waiting for so long, that they had to make what one could charitably call music to pass the time. They were still far enough away from town that they weren’t likely to get themselves spotted by any Instances, but it was still far too loud for Lohe’s liking.
The... whatever it was that landed in Po Town made Po Town defunct as a powerbase. Which means that either (A) they had to get rid of it or (B) they had to take all their stuff from Po Town and run.
“Get rid of it,” was what was demanded of him.
“Take the stuff and run,” was what was actually feasible. Comparatively, at least. They didn’t even know what remained. Hopefully something that would placate them enough to let him leave.
Nosferatu swooped down and came to sudden halt right next to Lohe. The Crobat landed silently, with a great smile showing how much fun he’d been having. Nosferatu had been making reconnaissance flights. To not betray their position, he had to take a long roundabout route back to him, to make sure he lost any Instances in the area.
Immediately after, the beatboxing stopped, thankfully. Unfortunately one of the two Skull grunts walked right up to him. Lohe was hoping he’d go away, but that wasn’t happening. The Skull grunt leaned down and poked Lohe. “Bro, why are you laying on the ground?” Pink said.
Lohe didn’t open his eyes. He pondered trying to pretend to still be asleep, but figured the grunt wouldn’t leave until he was satisfied. “Getting some shut-eye waiting for nightfall.”
This apparently was not enough to satisfy Pink’s curiosity. “Is all that stuff about you guys being monsters real?“
Direct, Lohe thought.
Blue ran up to Pink. “Hey, bro, don’t be rude,“ Blue said, admonishing Pink.
“No, I think ‘monster’ is about right,” Lohe said as he sat up. “You have the blood don’t you?” Lohe said to Blue.
“Yeah, bro,” Blue said before turning around and starting into a run. He had to run a fair distance to a Rotom-Fridge who was keeping about as close as it was willing to get to Lohe. Blue comforted his Rotom, who really wanted to get further from Lohe. Then reaching into the possessed fridge, he pulled a canister from inside. He ran back to Lohe and handed it to him.
“Thanks,” he said before opening the canister. He held the canister above his mouth high enough so that Pink could see the red liquid drop into his mouth. When he had finished, Lohe closed the canister. “O negative,” he commented.
Pink looked at Blue, who nodded. “Bro, that’s wicked.”
“Only a few of us are supposed to know about this though,” Blue said as he took the canister back from Lohe. “I’m a little surprised you get to accompany us, bro. They’re generally pretty strict about who gets to know.”
“They’re probably expecting you to die,” Lohe said nonchalantly. “All of you,” he said while gesturing all around them.
That seemed to kill the mood. Whatever positive mood there had been at least. It wasn’t like any of them were happy to be here, but hearing Lohe talk about death so flippantly made the reality of the situation sink in.
“Bro,” Pink said.
“That’s harsh, bro,” said Blue. “If they’re leaving us out to dry, why’d they send you?
Lohe leaned back on the rocky wall. He had a smile on his face, but it lacked warmth. “Them sending me is how I know we’re being left out to dry.”
If it was possible, the mood sank lower. And with it, the last sun’s light finally died off.
“Bro...” Pink said, with audible pity in his voice.
For Lohe, such was life. At least he was freed from the effects of the sun. He picked up his backpack and said “Well it’s nighttime. I got to get to work.” Nosferatu placed himself on Lohe’s shoulder as the vampire began to move down the side of the rocky outcrop. “If I’m not back by morning, get out of here. Don’t get yourselves killed.”
“Bro, wait,” Pink said. Lohe stopped to listen. Pink was trembling. He had to steel himself before continuing. “You gotta let us go with you.”
“No,” Lohe said immediately. “You follow me in there, you’re going to die.”
“Hey! You don’t know that,” Blue yelled. Lohe silently begged to differ.
“Bro, please,” Pink said, with desperation in his voice. “That thing killed my bros. I gotta avenge them.”
“Bro…” Blue said, looking at Pink.
Lohe was quiet for a moment. He could tell how earnest they were from the sound of their voices. But he was not going to be responsible for them during this trip. And he’d be limiting his ability to move around stealthily if he had to bring them along. “You have my sympathies. The answer is still no.”
Blue and Pink were frustrated. Lohe didn’t know what to say; he wasn’t going to change his mind on the matter. But then Blue piped up. “Could you at least look for something for us?”
Lohe raised an eyebrow. “That depends. What is it?”
“It’s something that belonged to a friend of ours,” Blue said before holding up the necklace he was wearing. “It’s a necklace. Like ours, but she painted it green. She’d never take it off. So if you find it...”
Lohe could fill in the dots. It wasn’t likely to be much more trouble, compared to the rest of his mission at least. He could do that. “No promises I’ll find it, but I’ll keep a lookout.”
Both Skull grunts lit up. “Thanks bro!” Pink and Blue said in unison.
“Yeah, sure,” Lohe said. He turned around and gave a half-hearted wave as he made his descent down the rocky bluff towards the town.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 18, 2021 9:24:22 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks/Anna Burks – Village Bridge Paul nodded grimly. "We've gotten a fair number of refugees from the surrounding cities, Nimbasa and Undella; people trying to get ahead of the Missing Zero. But a vast majority of the people here came from Black City. It's crazy what happens when a nation's capital falls. These are unprecedented times we're living in."
Any further conversation was cut off by Anna, who had been waiting for them by the door. "You must be Ellen's friends," she said, welcoming the crew inside. At roughly six months pregnant, she did not seem to have slowed down one bit. The aroma of a savory stew filled the warm home.
Had Kyle, Levi, or Will been to the Burks residence before, the first thing they would have noticed was that the living room, directly to the left of the entrance, had been stripped of all its furniture. Boarded windows and various scratches on the walls suggested the living room had fallen victim to an intense battle not too long ago.
But the rest of the house was warm and welcoming. Anna led them into the kitchen, where five bowls were already waiting for them at the table. "Go on, make yourselves at home." Anna gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek before serving up the stew.
An excited bark came from the other room. Terry ran up to Kyle and placed his front paws on the Trainer's legs, his tail wagging wildly.
"Down, Terry." Paul said with a chuckle. "Let's not scare our guests away."
IC: Ellen Burks/Shannon Willows – Command Center, Vertrag "You're here too, Skye!" Ellen smiled and waved to the Fifth Child. She hadn't spent as much time with Skye as with some of the other Children, but Ellen still considered her a good friend and ally. With introductions out of the way, she turned back to Sonja and Ford's discussion. "Everyone has a role to play," she said. "It sounds to me like the task of recruiting Legendary Pokémon is just as important as the task of fighting on the front lines. Besides, with all of Vertrag's resources, it will be easier for us to track down Legendary Pokémon. Convincing them to join our cause, on the other hand . . ." Ellen looked up at Ford. "You were able to convince all of us to join your cause. Surely you can do the same for the Legendary Pokémon of the world?"
IC: Chrono/Kiri/Alaina – Sootopolis City It was a hopeless situation. There was no way for Chrono to make himself known to Kiri – the one woman in this city who could help him – without also revealing himself to the girl that had just assaulted him. But given the choice between an angry girl and all of Déoza, Chrono had to choose the former. Hesitantly, the Purrloin slinked out of the shadows.
"It came back!" the little girl cried, pointing a grimy finger at him. "That thing just attacked Spearow out of the blue! It would have eaten him if I hadn't stopped it!"
Chrono hissed a warning to the girl before meowing incessantly at Kiri, explaining that he was a friend of Ellen's.
"Well, it certainly is an unusual Purrloin," the woman said. "I think it's trying to apologize."
If Chrono gave her a deadpan look, then began meowing more urgently, stating that he'd been separated from Ellen and needed help getting back to her. It quickly became evident that Kiri had no idea what he was trying to say. In desperation, he turned to the Spearow and explained his situation again.
The bird simply laughed and flew into the girl's arms. Evidently his former prey had no interest in helping him.
With a sigh, Chrono turned once more to Kiri. He sat down on the cobblestones, peered up at her, and began meowing again. "Strange," the woman said. "It seems familiar somehow . . ."
"Don't tell me you're friends with that creature!" The girl picked up a stone and threw it at Chrono. The Purrloin deftly dodged and continued trying to communicate.
"Alaina, stop!" Kiri said harshly. "I think that Purrloin wants our help." Chrono nodded and meowed again. Finally he was getting somewhere.
"I don't care what it wants!" Alaina cried. "It hurt Spearow! It doesn't deserve our help!"
"Quiet, let me think!" Kiri's face wrinkled in concentration, as if she were drudging up some old memory. She peered at Chrono. "Didn't you belong to that girl that visited this summer? The friend of my nieces and nephew? You helped fight against that fake Groudon."
Chrono nodded again, his tail swaying back and forth behind him.
"Where's your trainer?"
Chrono meowed, doing his best to not lose his patience.
Kiri frowned. "Is she in danger?"
Chrono sighed and nodded.
"I see. Come with me, then." The woman beckoned the Purrloin to follow, ignoring Alaina's sudden outcry. "We'll see what we can do to help."
IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan/Jayron Aaron/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke/Brendan Ruby/Christopher Dunkeld/Jeffery Sanders/Rebecca Sanders – Boat, Approaching Four Island "That's where you work?" Ryan's father stood on the deck of the boat as they finally approached Four Island. The Alamo stood boldly above the trees and rocks, an imposing figure and symbol of everything Team Liberty stood for.
"Well, most of my time is spent elsewhere," Ryan said, laughing at his father's awe. "Being a field agent means you don't spend a lot of time at home base. But The Alamo certainly makes a statement. I remember when I first saw it . . . from the back of the Legendary Ho-Oh."
"Ho-Oh?" Jeffery Sanders shook his head in disbelief. "The Rainbow Pokémon? There's no way it let you ride on its back."
"I asked nicely." Ryan smiled at the memory. "As luck would have it I found a group of Liberty Agents right after Team Liberty announced Operation R.A.L.L.Y., an initiative to recruit powerful trainers and Legendary Pokémon to their ranks. And the group I found was tasked with finding Ho-Oh."
"Unbelievable. Few people have even seen Ho-Oh, let alone gotten to ride on it."
"Oh, that's only the tip of the iceberg," Ryan said with a grin. He pulled out an Ultra Ball. "Entei here joined my team in Hoenn's desert."
It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Sanders, the Legendary Beast said through the capsule. I can assure you Ryan has been very safe in my care.
Jeffery's mouth dropped open. "Astounding! A Pokémon as renowned as Entei took the time to address me! And he's chosen to travel with my son! Honey, come here! Did you know our Ryan has a Legendary Pokémon with him?"
Suddenly Ryan's Pokégear beeped. Across the boat, Jayron's, Colleen's, and Dack's devices beeped, too. Ryan quickly scanned the message.
"All available Agents: Due to recent increases in the appearances of Missing Zero Instances across the regions, joint leadership between Teams Rocket, Liberty, and all allied organizations have decided on a plan of action meant to slow the spread of Missing Zero and provide support to affected regions. All able-bodied Agents are hereby asked to report to your nearest conference center in order to receive briefing on this operation."
"Missing Zero," Ruby said, reading over Jayron's shoulder. "That's that shark thing we fought in the Orange Islands, right?"
"The message said all able-bodied Agents," Dack said. "You and Agent Dunkeld need to go to the infirmary. You're in no position to be back in the field right now."
"I think we can handle a conference center briefing," Dunkeld said. "Clearly a lot has happened in the world since we went MIA. We need to know what we're up against."
IC: Zoe Llyan – Conference Center, The Alamo Liberty Agent Zoe Llyan felt a thrill of excitement as she sat down in the conference center. She held her Liberty badge in her hand, running her fingers over the engraving. This was it: her first real mission.
Every day since she had turned thirteen she had begged her instructor to let her graduate from Liberty School and make her a real agent. She had met all the requirements: age, passing a written exam, and shadowing a real agent in the field. Okay, technically she had run away to Kalos and joined an unofficial mission to investigate Team Flare, but she managed to convince Alex Lockwood to put in a good word for her.
It had taken forty-two days of persistent begging and nagging, but she finally received her diploma and badge. And as luck would have it, the same day she became an official agent, Team Liberty sent out a message asking all able-bodied Agents to report for a briefing on a new mission. Well, Zoe was both able and bodied, so she quickly made her way to the conference center where she sat in nervous excitement.
That excitement grew as the lights dimmed and Blackskull stepped onto the stage. What mission awaited her? What was to be her first mission as an official agent of Team Liberty?
IC: Ryan Sanders/Dack Majors/Colleen Llyan/Jayron Aaron/Brendan Ruby/Christopher Dunkeld – Conference Center, The Alamo Ryan and his companions sat next to each other in the crowded auditorium, hanging onto Blackskull's every word. While they knew the Missing Zero had appeared in Kalos, it was frightening to see just how far it had spread.
Not to mention, the mention of the Sin Trainers Gluttony and Pride set Ryan and Dack on edge. Ryan had already faced Gluttony's wendigo-like form, but the image still made his stomach turn. Dack, on the other hand, clenched the arm of his chair at the sight of a puppet-like creature identified as Pride. Ryan remembered Dack talking about his battle against Pride in Celadon City. Anger and anxiety now spread on Dack's face as he stared at the screen.
And then Blackskull announced the return of Operation R.A.L.L.Y. Ryan's head was instantly filled with memories of his time with Alex Lockwood, Jake Soren, and Alec Lighttree. From Ho-Oh to Lugia to the Legendary Beasts, their little group had accomplished much during the first iteration of R.A.L.L.Y. But this wouldn't be like last time. Now the operation was on a grander scale, and the stakes were much higher.
Murmurings erupted across the auditorium as the agents were dismissed. Ryan quickly pulled out his Pokégear to log into Liberty's network and find his assignment.
"I gotta say, I thought you all were making this Missing Zero thing out to be a lot worse than it really was," Ruby said with a deep frown. "But it turns out you were right. It seems the world really is on the brink of destruction."
"That may be the case, but right now all you and Agent Dunkeld need to concern yourselves with is getting yourselves to the infirmary," Jayron said. "You've got a long road to recovery before you get your assignments."
"I don't care where I'm assigned," Dack muttered. "Pride's appeared near Snowpoint. That city's already suffered enough; I can't let it become overrun by Instances."
"It's a lot to take in," Colleen agreed. "But our help is needed everywhere. I'm sure an adequate number of agents will be assigned to defend Snowpoint, even if you aren't among them. Speaking of which . . . looks like I've been assigned to Alola."
Ryan looked over in surprise. "Same here. I always wanted to go there, although I'd hoped for a nice, leisurely vacation instead of a mission to save the world." He sighed. What he'd really hoped for was some quality time with his parents, but it looked like he was getting called back out into the field. And then there was the matter of Sonja and the rest of Vorhut. He needed to check in with them and bring them up to speed on his mission assignment. Motioning for Colleen to follow him, Ryan started to make his way out of the crowded auditorium.
IC: ?/? – Mount Coronet High in the mountains of Sinnoh, amidst a small thicket of aspens, a light snowfall fell around two hooded figures. Around them, but not on them. Any onlookers would have been surprised to see a small circle of dirt where the figures sat. No snow fell within the circle, yet the ground just beyond was covered in a soft blanket of fresh powder.
"Feel nature's energy around you," one of the figures said in a soft, male voice. "All of life is connected. Even something as insignificant as a snowflake has a unique story, a past, a journey it took to land right here at your feet. Every action has consequences. Everything is connected."
"I feel it," the other figure, a girl, said. "Winds from the north must have brought this flurry here."
"Good," the man said. Beneath his hood, a smile was just barely visible. "Now, I want you to read between the lines, just like we practiced. All of life is connected, yet there exists a void between those connections. Focus."
The girl was silent, yet a deep purple glow seemed to emanate from her, faint enough that one might think it was a trick of the eyes.
"Winter winds brought us snow," the man said. "But what happens if you remove part of the equation? What happens if the temperature is different?" A light pattering sounded around the two figures as the snowfall turned into rain. The droplets didn't just exist in the area immediately surrounding the pair. The entire mountainside suddenly found itself in a cold downpour. "Very good." A smile could he heard in the man's voice. "Such is the power of the Void. Giratina was able to use such power to—"
A sudden ringing pierced the air. The rain returned to snow as the girl reached into the fold of her cloak and pulled out a Pokégear. "Sorry," she said to her mentor as she looked at the screen. "It's my Aunt Kiri." The girl pulled back her hood, letting her brown hair fall over her shoulders as she answered the call.
"Dahlia," the woman on the other line said. "Thank goodness you answered. I called Aspen first, but didn't get through."
"What's wrong, Aunt Kiri?" Dahlia's face was wrought with worry.
A Purrloin suddenly appeared on the screen. "This cat showed up near my door," Kiri said. "It belonged to that girl you were with when you visited in July."
"Ellen?" Dahlia asked. "What's her Purrloin doing there?"
"It says its Trainer is in trouble," Kiri said. "They must have gotten separated somewhere along the way. I don't really know, it was meowing a lot and seemed very worried."
"Hang in there, Chrono." As Dahlia got to her feet, the ring around her disappeared, and snow began to fall on her. She shivered as she suddenly felt the cool temperature of the upper mountains. "I'll be there shortly."
"Wait, Dahlia!" Kiri cried. "You can't fly into Sootopolis right now. Déoza is patrolling the whole area. They're sure to notice if you Teleport in, too."
"What?!" Dahlia shouted at the screen. "How long has that been going on? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Oh, I've told Rose," Kiri said. "But there's nothing any of you could have done. I know you all like to play the hero, but I can't have you risking your life. Déoza is everywhere, and if they find you, they'll lock you up. I couldn't put you, your siblings, or your friends in danger like that."
"Aunt Kiri, I'm not just playing the Hero," Dahlia said with a look of determination. "I am one. And I don't need to fly or teleport to get there. Hang on tight, I'll be right there."
"Your aunt's in trouble?" Dahlia's mentor pulled back his hood, revealing the grim face of Klim Prizak.
"Her and Ellen, it seems." Dahlia shoved her Pokégear back into her pocket. "I'm so sorry, Klim. I know how important this training is, and I really value everything you've been teaching me, but I have to help them. All of Sootopolis is in lockdown right now."
"Dahlia, relax." Klim placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a warm smile. "Even with all your meditation, you still worry too much. This is a perfect opportunity to test out what you've learned. Let me come with you."
"Th-thank you," Dahlia shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her. "Aunt Kiri said Déoza is tracking everyone coming into Sootopolis. Do you think we can use the Distortion World to sneak in?"
Klim frowned. "It would be difficult," he said. "The Distortion World is vast, as big as this world, but it's hard to know exactly where our location points to in this world at any given time."
"We have to try," the Hero of Reverse said, already shaping her hands to create a portal. A rip in space formed before her. "I can create more portals to check on our progress as we travel."
"Very well then, Dahlia." Klim smiled. "Lead the way, Hero of Giratina. Let's show the world what you're made of."
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Post by Parugi on Jan 24, 2021 17:50:03 GMT -8
IC - Kyle Eston/Levi Alaric/Will Moreno - Burks House, Village Bridge:
Nimbasa, Undella, and Black City . . . No wonder this place was so busy. Worse than that, if people were still coming from Black City even now, months after the place had fallen . . . The few rumors and images he had seen of Unova's former capitol did not paint a pleasant picture. Kyle shuddered to think of what kind of hell they must have suffered in the interim, having to try and survive in that nightmare, with only a slim hope of managing to escape.
He glanced back at Levi and Will. The two boys were doing better, but like Kyle, they were exhausted; he could see it in their faces and the uneven steps that they took. They had had it easy by comparison, landing so close to a town that could afford to help them. Even then, he had barely been able to keep them safe from the Shad--From Gecynde, he reminded himself. If Missing Zero continued to spread, if they wound up somewhere worse--confined to a city or town in the midst of being corrupted by Missing Zero's influence--what then? They didn't deserve that--no one did.
The sound of Anna's greeting snapped him out of his thoughts.
As Levi and Will offered a polite reply and Paul moved forward to greet his wife, Kyle turned his focus to the house. It was a small, cozy place, quite in tune with the aesthetic and atmosphere of the rest of the village. Seeing it now, he understood fully where Ellen fit into this--between her parents, herself, and her incoming sibling, they were the perfect picture of a happy family. It made sense.
He couldn't help but admit that he was a little jealous.
The Burks led them into the interior. Immediately, the smell of food hit him, and Kyle realized how starved he was. From the looks on their faces, Levi and Will felt the same way. As soon as Anna welcomed them in and directed them to the table, the boys all but teleported into side-by-side seats. The contrast to how they had felt only a few moments ago was alarming, to say the least. Before he could move to join them, a bark sounded from nearby, and Terry the Herdier had arrived, greeting Kyle.
"Down, Terry." Paul said with a chuckle. "Let's not scare our guests away."
"He's okay," Kyle said, stooping down to greet the Pokémon. He chuckled as Terry licked at his face, patting his head. "Long time, no see, buddy. How've you been?"
He took a moment to glance into the empty room nearby, eyes widening slightly in surprise as he saw the boarded windows and other signs of damage to the room. It didn't take much experience with Pokémon battles to recognize the signs of one. It certainly wasn't normal to go all-out indoors, though, and the Burks especially did not seem like the type of people to use their own living room as an arena under normal circumstances.
Terry had given him some space by the time he shook the questions out of his mind, allowing him to take a seat at the table next to Levi. By now Anna had served the food and the boys were already scarfing it down. Kyle sighed as he took a seat, giving Anna an apologetic look before directing a more disapproving one toward his wards. "Mind your manners, guys; you're gonna get sick if you eat that fast," he said. "Did you even thank Mrs. Burks?"
Unperturbed, the boys nonetheless took a break from their meal to look up at Anna. "Thank you!" they said simultaneously, before holding their now-empty bowls forward. "More please!"
Kyle almost choked on his first bite. "Already?" he said. The Liberty Agent--Kyle Eston, who had personally seen to Mewtwo's recruitment to Team Liberty, had recruited an extradimensional Suicune to his personal team, had witnessed firsthand the carnage of Unova and Kalos, faced the possibility of death on untold occasions, and had born witness to the arrival of Missing Zero into this world--looked at Paul and Anna Burks with a look of genuine apology. "I'm sorry. These two are usually way more polite than this."
IC - Executive Danielle Ladon - VIP Cell Block, The Alamo:
Work had proceeded well on repairing the damage to the VIP Block. It seemed a bit wasteful, though, all things considered. Aside from James Arthur, the only other occupant here were the two surviving members of the Searchers--Kayne Boden and the recently-reappeared Searcher himself. Aside from those three, there were over twenty cells that remained unoccupied. Executive Ladon honestly wasn't sure that there was much point to maintaining them now, considering it was unlikely they would find any means of capturing and containing Missing Zero Instances anytime soon. Still, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to have the option available for other individuals, particularly if . . .
She turned, stopping outside of Arthur's cell. She scanned her card, opening the door and entering. A quick glance at the cameras situated in the room, and then a pause as she looked toward the cell's occupant. "Got a minute?"
IC - John Ford/Madison Hayes/Vertrag/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Skye Hall/Gavin Braner - Command Center, Vertrag:
Ford's expression fell. "That is a tall order," he said. "It took me years to put together my group of nine; this is on another scale altogether."
"Yeah, and don't forget the lying and manipulation you and your group did to accomplish that," Gavin said, his glare darting between Ford and Hayes. Unconsciously, his hand moved to the limp portion of his right sleeve, gripping it. "Not to mention the damage you caused along the way."
"In case you hadn't noticed, we're on the same side now," Hayes said, her tone sharp. "I suggest you take a step back and get some perspective--"
"You think just because we're allies now, that means you're suddenly forgiven?" Gavin spat. He looked around at the others. "Did you all forget about how they destroyed Castelia? How they annihilated Team Magma and others that they didn't consider useful? How they kidnapped and murdered and committed all sorts of atrocities all in the name of 'saving the world'?" The Rocket Agent rounded on Ford and Hayes again. "There was a reason you were imprisoned after that thing appeared on Two Island. Allies or not, I don't care what your intentions were then or what they are now. You had a choice in how you tried to solve this and you chose blood. You don't get to just forget that."
There was an uncomfortable tension in the air as the room fell quiet. Hayes did not respond, instead averting her eyes from the rest of the group. To his credit, Ford wore an expression consumed by guilt. Skye and Ethan both looked uncomfortable, the former looking between Gavin and Hayes and the latter appearing as if he was just now realizing how laissez-faire he had become in dealing with Ford since August.
"Are you two done?" Sonja asked. Of all of them, her expression was the calmest, seeming more cold or annoyed than anything. "You both have a point. The Hojohsin League caused way more harm than good despite what anyone may claim otherwise. They're also here now, trying to help make up for the mess they caused. They're in for the same fate as the rest of us unless we work together and get this Missing Zero creature under control." Gavin glared back at her, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist. After a moment, he relented, looking away. With that disagreement defused, Sonja looked at Ford and Vertrag. "You want us to focus on activating Legendaries rather than whatever the teams would have us do. Fine. Where do you suggest we start?"
If I may make a suggestion, Vertrag said. It would seem pertinent to me for the group assembled here to increase its numbers. The first order of business should be to contact reliable agents to assist in this endeavor. Mr. Sanders comes to mind immediately. I am certain you can think of others.
"Well, now that you mention it," Ethan said, looking at Gavin, Skye, and Lucia. "Jamie would be pretty invaluable here, considering her Time abilities. We might even try Sang, too; he's been pretty reliable in the past." He looked at Sonja. "You got any other friends on call?"
"Aside from Ryan, and Ray and Kyle if we can find them?" She thought for a moment. "There's an Aura user named Colleen. I don't know her that well, but Ryan's spoken highly of her. Esen Windred would be a good one. There were also some others involved with the Team Flare investigation we could reach out to--Dahlia and Olivia Seaton, Xander Cruz, Jared Winters, plus that group they picked up toward the end. I don't know exactly how to get in touch with some of them, though."
Ford nodded. "I would second that plan. Let's see how many of them we can get to meet up with us--perhaps keeping mine and the Second's involvement under wraps to begin with," he said. "As for where to go first . . ." The Shadowed Man thought for a moment, the corners of his mouth turning downward slightly. "A curious thought, but Alola may be a beneficial starting point. They have a high concentration of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon native to their land, and the contact organization for that region, the Aether Foundation, is rumored to have developed a Pokémon specifically bred for battling interdimensional intruders. More interesting than that, however, is the frequency of Ultra Wormholes that appear there."
"'Ultra Wormholes'?" Ethan repeated.
"They say that creatures from another dimension often materialize in Alola, appearing through wormholes in space--Ultra Wormholes," Ford said. "These creatures are called Ultra Beasts. Call it a hunch, but I suspect there could be something of value to gain by investigating these creatures further."
"Well, ain't that convenient?" Ethan grinned, pulling the Beast Ball he had obtained months ago from his belt. "Skye here tells me I've got one of them already. Some science guy dropped it in the airport a few months back."
"Yeah, and you better have been keeping that secret outside of this place," Skye said drily. "It's true, though. No one knows where Ultra Beasts come from or what drives them. If they're anything like Missing Zero, they could be used to our advantage." She rubbed her head. "Plus, my brother lives out there and he's got something waiting for me, so he might be able to help us out in other ways, too."
"I say we send out messages to our allies and get going as soon as possible, then," Sonja said. "The sooner we can hop on this, the better."
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Post by minun4 on Jan 25, 2021 18:21:47 GMT -8
IC: James Arthur - VIP Cell Block, Alamo
James was reading a treatise on Galarian battle strategies when Executive Ladon walked into his cell. So it was time. He placed the book, still open on top of several other still open books that he'd been reading during his imprisonment. He resisted the urge to make a sarcastic quip at Ladon’s question. Even though he’d thought of several to use in such a situation.
“Yes I do,” James said, putting his best smile on as he looked at the other Executive. All the better to hide his building nerves. He was confident in his conclusions, but whether his bet would work out in the end was still up in the air. “What can I do for you, Executive Ladon?”
IC: Lohe Mahina - Po Town
Lohe sat outside the back of what once was a Pokemon Center. It had never been in the best shape since Team Skull took over Po Town. But given the state of the town now, it was a surprise it was in as good condition as it was. Even more surprising, was the fact that he could hear noises coming in from inside the Center. From a single hole in the wall, he could hear the whirring of machines, and footsteps. But most importantly of all, he could hear voices. Human, voices.
He’d seen Instances on his way into town. There’s no way the people inside were hiding from them in here. They’d be found and overwhelmed quickly. The building was not in good enough shape to survive an onslaught. He closed his eyes and focused on the words being said.
The voices were… too calm for the situation. Maybe if they were all trained soldiers, he’d understand them being calm under pressure. But Team Skull was as far from being trained soldiers as one could get. People were talking over each other. He focused on pieces of each conversation.
“Are you ready for the gathering?”
“The cleansing ones are spreading towards Route 16”
“Thank the speakers.”
Each conversation held a piece of interest, but lacked the clarity of the whole picture. He couldn’t fathom what they were talking about. But it was pretty clear that they were in no hurry to leave this hell.
They’d also probably not appreciate him knocking on the door. So much for recovering the healing machines, Lohe thought. Valuable machinery like that might have been enough to count as a victory. Maybe. He had little choice but to go further into town now.
Melding back into the shadows, he waited by the door. Eventually, one man dressed in a black robe came out of the Pokemon Center, and started to walk north. Lohe followed him from within his own shadow. He had a guess about where he might be off to, but he hadn’t confirmed it yet.
While they were walking, a Leopyred came right up to him. The man stopped in front of it. They looked at each other for a moment, and then the Leopyred went about its way. Lohe guessed that they were in cahoots with the instances, but seeing it was still shocking. The man he was following didn’t seem phased at all by the encounter with the monster. He kept walking north, so Lohe kept following. Lohe only broke away when it became clear that the man was indeed walking to the abandoned mansion that used to be Team Skull’s hideout.
There were unrepaired windows. He could use that to get in. He snuck around the buildings right side. The back around that side was full of trees, and unguarded. It gave Lohe an opportunity of movement he’d not had since he got into town.
He had retreated Nosferatu earlier. But with eyes off of them, he had a chance to get to the roof. He let Nosferatu out of his ball, and the Crobat gleefully got him to roof. Lohe landed with the softest step he could make. He pet the Crobat in thanks for the help before retreating him again. Lohe went back into the shadows, not a moment too soon. A Harpreak flew by right after he vanished.
That was too risky, Lohe decided. He’d find a different way out of the mansion. He made his way around to the front of the mansion and entered the building through a windowless hole.
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Post by Konuju on Jan 29, 2021 11:59:38 GMT -8
IC: Paul Burks/Anna Burks - Village Bridge Anna laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. You all are clearly very hungry. I'm just glad Paul gave me enough notice to make a large batch. Without Ellen here, we don't cook quite as much as we used to. To be honest, I'm glad for the excuse to make a big meal." She hastily refilled Levi and Will's bowls before sitting down with her own bowl of stew. The woman looked sadly at Levi's seat for a moment. Then the smile returned to her face as she started to eat. "So, how was work, honey?"
"Another busy day," Paul said. "Customers are eating up those evolution stones like candy. But Anson's a much better employer than my previous positions."
"I can tell you're more relaxed." Anna smiled. "And I'm glad you're actually home in time for dinner now."
Paul laughed. "Let me tell you, missing dinner was the worst thing about working for OAT. Oh, but also, our friend Kyle here broke his Pokégear. I was thinking the Dawsons might be able to fix it."
Anna nodded, then looked at Kyle. "I've heard they've been really busy lately, so it might not be right away, but they can definitely get it fixed for you; will that be okay?"
IC: Ryan Sanders/Colleen Llyan - Four Island "What's up?" Colleen asked as the two left the crowded auditorium and made their way through the Alamo's halls. "I don't know how soon they'll want us in Alola, but I need to stop home to pack and say goodbye to my sister."
"I know," Ryan said as he led her out the Alamo's doors. "I just think we need to check in with our friends, let them know what's going on. Plus, I think it's important that you know everything we have at our disposal."
"What?"
Ryan stopped and turned around to face the aura wielder. He glanced around to make sure no one could overhear. "Listen, what I'm about to show you, you can't tell anyone else. Not Liberty leadership, definitely not your sister -- the less people that know about this, the better."
Colleen looked slightly worried. "You're not making any sense. What's all this about?"
"You'll see soon enough," Ryan said as he led her down a rocky trail in the direction of the beach. "Let's just say we made a powerful new ally back in August. One who will be invaluable in the new R.A.L.L.Y.'s success."
Before he could explain further, his Pokégear beeped with a message from Sonja: "Come to Vertrag as quickly as you can. We have a lot to discuss."
"Fitting," Ryan said as he hastily typed out a reply that he was on his way with Colleen in tow. "Sonja's already expecting us."
He quickly led Colleen to Vertrag's hidden location. It took a moment for him to recognize the entrance, but soon enough they were in the elevator heading down into the base. Colleen's confusion only grew as the elevator listed out her personal information. Now that they were safe from any prying ears, Ryan briefly explained how they had come across Ford's teleporting base and used it to their own advantage.
Ryan had expected to only find Sonja, possibly Chloe and Ray in the Command Center. He was stricken by surprise at the small crowd of people standing within the room. Vertrag's form floated above Sonja, Ethan, Evan, Jenny, a handful of other people he didn't recognize, Madison Hayes, John Ford, and--
"Ellen?"
The biggest grin spread across the young girl's face as she bolted across the room and threw her arms around Ryan, nearly tackling him to the ground. Her demeanor was the complete opposite of the depressed state he'd last seen her in. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he knelt down and hugged the girl back.
"Ellen, how have you been? What are you doing here of all places?" Ryan looked up at the other people in the room. "What are all of you doing here? I take it you all heard Blackskull's big announcement?"
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